The Alliance: Questionable Honour
by MaverickBuff
Summary: Azaroth lives a quiet life in the outskirts of Prontera. However, a brutal murder of an important person throws his life in turmoil, and it will be more than he can handle. Within betrayal and mistrust, can he depend on his friends in this hour of need?
1. Prologue: The Wheels of Change

**Prologue: The Wheels of Change**

The night was silent and eerie as Priest Voranus checked the hallways of the church. Now, in the middle of the night, there was no one about in the large holy building that stood here, and even though it was supposed to be a holy building, at night it felt like one of the most haunted places Horatio had ever walked in his life. The emptiness of the church was rather unsettling, especially when you wandered around in it alone at night. Voranus quietly cursed his partner, Titus, under his breath for falling sick of all days.

Horatio always wondered why the cardinals, the higher echelons of the people who ran the church, always ordered the priests and priestesses under their command to roam the dark, cold hallways of the church at night, mostly only with a small torch to keep them company. It was not as if anybody was actually going to sneak inside and cause trouble in any way. If that even occurred, there were guards and knights of the Pronteran Army patrolling the city every day. If there were any intruders, they would be spotted and the area alerted to the intruders presence.

Voranus felt like some kind of swordsman doing guard duties. He hated it in a way. He was a priest, and what priests do at night was sleep in their beds, not walking around here in the middle of the night doing troublesome chores of keeping an eye of the place. The cardinals always said this built character, but Voranus felt that the cardinals sounded like they were afraid of something. If so, they should just ask the soldiers in the army to patrol the inner church at night.

Walking to the main altar, he took a look around with whatever light he had in the lamp he carried. His eyes scanned the entire place before he decided nothing was wrong before heading off. He made his way off to the back stages of the altar, just a few seconds too early to catch what was about to happen there.

As the light of his lamp got swallowed in the darkness as he left the place, silence and darkness surrounded the place. Then, there was a purple spark at the entrance where the large, wooden doors stood. It happened in a flash, then once more, a silent bright coloured light that was thankfully soundless. More flashes were emitted, increasing in frequency, before a bright line was traced along the door. A purple coloured line was drawn in a circle, about 6 feet in diameter. As soon as the circle was formed, the structure of the door seem to bend out of shape, distorting in a space warp. And from this space warp out stepped a figure.

The newcomer snapped its fingers and in an instant, the warp gate disappeared as there was no more use for it now, having served its purpose by allowing the newcomer to enter through the door as if it was merely thin air. Moving stealthily and quietly with the lithe of a hunter, the newcomer moved along the corridors of the church, guiding its way along the place by memory to reach its target.

There were no priests or priestesses around the place to challenge the intruder, so the person made its way along the church without a hitch. Scouring along the side walls, the intruder reached a small pathway that was closed with a door. The person pushed the door and it opened, like the person remembered.

This lead to the main monastery where most of the people who serve the church stayed and slept. The bottom level was where most of the lower ranking people slept, like acolytes and priests and monks. The intruder had no interest in these people. Within a second on entering, the intruder was already making its way along the stairs to the higher areas of the monastery.

Even though it was dark, the intruder was able to guide its way along the dark corridors and steps of the place, as if it could see in the night. There were open areas, like balconies and arches where it allowed the moons light to cast at least a bit of illumination, but tonight, the night was a black as ink, the moon blocked out by a whole large group of clouds.

Finally, the intruder reached the top level of the monastery. Walking slowly now to the left, the intruder stood outside a finely, furnished door. Soft, calming snores could be heard from the inside. Smiling, the intruder retrieved a small key from the pocket of its clothes. Inserting the key into the key slot and turning it opened the door, and quietly the intruder went in.

The door lead to a singular room that was marvelously fashioned. There were tapestries of gold linings that hung on the walls, and a whole collection of antique and rare specimens of beasts and weapons. There was a richly coloured oak desk at the end where a singular candle stood to light the room in a soft, orange glow. Next to the desk was a bed where an old man slept.

Wasting no time, the intruder took a stride forward, crossing the room in one large step, and roughly placed a hand hard upon the old man's mouth. Rudely awakened, the old man tried to get his bearings as he felt a strong pressure being applied to his face, preventing him from talking. The old man gave a muted gasp as he spotted the intruder bearing down on him, the face sinister and full of malicious intent. It was a face he feared to see.

" I could have easily killed you in your sleep, old man, but I'm not that lenient unlike my sister whom you failed to spare," a dark voice hissed. Unknowingly, the old man pissed in his pants, but neither party took notice and it was of no consequence, although the intruder would later laugh at the pitiful man when he was done with him.

Raising the other arm and in it held what looked like a blade, the intruder said " Prepare to receive judgment, sinner!"

_Writer's note: It has been some time since I've posted up anything, since I was busy settling my stuff for university. I probably won't be able to update as frequently as usual since I really 'NEED' to study now, but heck..._

_Ragnarok Online (RO) was the first, and probably will be the last and only, online game I ever played, possibly due to the fact that I like the character design (japanese manga style). It has been, apparently, some time since I last played, as I stopped playing when they started charging for it (I'm a stingy poker...sue me). Anyway, I still fancy it, and I probably would play it if it was free. I decided to write a story on RO after reading Crimson Twilight: Dusk and Crimson Midnight: Midnight, by Tom Valor, and due credit must be given to him. Do read his fic, it's really good._

_My story will be heavily influenced by other materials, especially Dungeons & Dragons and Warcraft, where I might add elements from those features into Ragnarok. Of course, My knowledge of the RO Universe is rusty at best, so I will be using other topics and designs to explain my story, or it may be part of the story and the way I'd like to tell it. I just chose RO as the setting.  
_


	2. Chapter 1: The Invitation

**Chapter 1: The Invitation**

" That wolf is mine!" a young man yelled, tearing after the animal, which was running away as it was terrified at meeting such an eager hunter, his sword drawn and brandishing it in the light of the morning sun. Its animal sense told him if he engaged this person, he would surely die, and so it took the other approach to save its live. But unfortunately, whatever it was going to do, it would wind up dead within the hunter's blades.

The man heard a soft twang of string and looking to the back slightly, he spotted his partner shooting an arrow from behind from some distance. Not wanting his partner to steal his kill, at the right moment, he swung his sword to the right, snapping his partner's arrow into two in a split second.

" Damn you, Azaroth!" his partner yelled loudly, angry he stopped her arrow.

" I'm getting this kill, not you, Serene," Azaroth replied, returning his attention to the running animal, now that Serene was just too far away to shoot an arrow at that distance. Increasing his pace, he slowly closed the gap between the wolf and himself. Sensing the on-coming danger and guessing it would be pointless running anyway, the wolf spun around and lashed out at the Azaroth.

Azaroth immediately raised his weapon, and the wolf bit hard upon his Tsurugi blade. Reaching back with his free hand to his second sword, a Haedonggum by his side, he drew it out and in one swift strike, slashed it deftly at its neck. A large gash appeared and blood spurted out, the wolf giving a gargling cry before falling to the ground, as good as dead.

" Perfect," Azaroth replied, bending down to the dead body of the wolf and drawing a small knife. As he started to slowly skin the wolf, Serene came up to him from behind. Azaroth didn't need to be told that she was slightly vexed with him, and he certainly knew why.

" Being very selfish, are we?" Serene asked, with some anger in her voice.

" Look, I said I got it, so there was no need for your arrow," Azaroth replied.

Serene turned her back towards Azaroth, folded her arms and grumbled. Azaroth chuckled at the sight. Serene was an elf, a race of proud people who usually lived in the deep dark areas of the forests around the country. Such a remark would mean swift death if heard by the regular elves, as they take human jokes and snides seriously, but Azaroth knew Serene well enough to know she would not cut off his head when he laughed at her.

Serene was what people in the kingdom if Midgard called a 'domesticated' elf, an elf that has embraced human culture and lived with humans for some time, sometimes settling down to have a family with a human. Azaroth could remember their first encounter, which was not a really a fond one.

Chasing down a rabbit one day, his senses were quick enough to sense an on-coming arrow. He cut the arrow in mid-air, stopping the advance of the arrow before it hit his prey. Before he knew it, there was this crazed, long blue haired elf that came cursing out of the nearby shrubs, full of intent to shoot down Azaroth for stealing 'her' prey.

Azaroth lives in the small farming village of Taykon, a quiet, small village where most of the inhabitants were regular farmers. But Azaroth was quite different. He was a hunter, not as in class, but what he does. Everyday, or whenever he feels like it, he goes out hunting wild animals of all sorts under his capabilities, and with his impressive sword skills, there is no surprise that he usually comes back with a kill or more. He has roughly maintained such a lifestyle for the last few years, selling animal's hides and meat to survive.

His friendship with Serene meant that they go on hunting trips often. This meant getting less money, since he needed, by his principle although Serene tried to persuade him from it when she knew him well enough, to share the spoils and hunting together at the outskirts of the city did not usually improve their number of hunts, but it provided him with some company, something he felt was lacking in his village.

" Hey, why don't you stop sulking and help me skin this wolf, so we can both go back and we can chat over a cup of juice?" Azaroth suggested.

Several villagers turned their head and looked at Azaroth and Serene returning from their hunt, dragging their spoils in a leather sled which was manned by both of them. They just passively took note of their presence before going back to their work on the fields, tending to their vegetables. Serene was aware of their attitude towards Azaroth, but she could still not give up on asking " Why do they act like that?" whenever they entered the place.

" Bah, something unrelated to me...don't mind them," Azaroth said, as usual, and Serene did not ask any further. Both of them made their way along the village to reach Azaroth's humble hut that stood by the west side of the village.

His home was comfortable enough for him and Azaroth has no complains. Along with his hut, he owns a small patch of land to do some farming, but not at a large scale to earn money but merely to supplement for his meals. Currently, there are cabbages growing all over his small plot of land.

Dumping their equipment along at the sides of the hut, both of them entered the small hut where Azaroth lived. It was a one roomed hut, where the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and even the toilet was melded into one. Azaroth even proudly announced that the hut was the work of his own hands.

As usual, Serene was greeted by the strange, rustic smell of wood in his hut. And like most male counterparts, the place was in an absolute mess. Livable, but Serene was always quick to note that it could use a 'woman's touch', which Azaroth loved to rebuke with the statement that he felt comfortable here.

" Ah, perfect...just in time for some tea," Azaroth said, spotting the kettle which he placed on his stove was boiling. Taking it up and pouring it into a small pot, he later added a few tea leaves into the pot, and soon there was a soothing aroma that could be smelt all over the hut.

" I assume you don't mind my own weird mix," Azaroth replied, pouring a cup of tea for her in one of his clay cups and handing it to Serene.

" Like I have any choice in that," Serene laughed.

As both of them sat of the floor and drank their tea, Serene asked " So, when are you going to sell your hides?"

" Merchants...they usually come by...not often though. Most of the time they come in the evening, so I have to make sure that I'm around during the time. Troublesome, really. Most of my animal hides and meat would sell better in Prontera or in a bigger city, but it's too much of a hassle and trouble to go all the way there and sell it. Besides, it would be a waste of time," Azaroth replied, blowing on his drink before taking a tentative sip.

Serene was about to reply when they heard a soft knock on the door. Azaroth felt a bit puzzled, almost used to having no visitors at all in the afternoon. Rather puzzled at who wanted to see him, he got up and opened the door of his hut.

Right outside stood a priestess, a servant of the church. Not just any priestess. This one had an air of authority, someone who had experience in the field and Azaroth guessed that she was somehow involved in the army from the way she looked, yet she retained the soft nature all priestesses have. She was of age, almost in her thirties, but Azaroth was rather transfixed by the beauty of her face. She had a soft brown tan on her face, and there was radiance in her white eyes, which was matched with her equally white hair. As Azaroth stood looking at her, she gave a pleasant smile.

" Um...I'm not too sure I ordered you here..." Azaroth said, not too sure what to say.

" Hmm, I wasn't informed of your sense of humour," the priestess said. " May I come in?"

" Yeah, please do," Azaroth said, stepping aside, allowing the priestess to enter. She entered slowly, taking a look around. Serene spotted her and raised her eyebrows.

" You did not tell me your girlfriend was coming," Serene scoffed.

" She is not, obviously," Azaroth replied. " We are having tea at the moment, and I frankly don't have anything else besides water as a beverage. Are you alright with that?"

The priestess shrugged her shoulders and replied " I'm fine with that."

" Right, now, you can place your bum anywhere on the floor while I get you your drink," Azaroth replied, pouring a cup of tea for the priestess. She merely glanced on the floor, looking at the mess that was Azaroth's home. When he handed her a cup of tea, she replied " I think I'd prefer to stand."

" Well, who are you and why are you here to see me? I assume you know my name is Azaroth, unless you are at the wrong place," Azaroth replied.

" Forgive my manners. My name is Selene Mayfly, I am a priestess, serving under the church and His name," Selene introduced herself.

" Well, being a priestess was obvious. Both your names are kind of similar, don't you think?" Azaroth replied, in which Serene scoffed while taking another sip of her tea. " What do you want with me?"

" To keep it simple, I'm here for business," Selene replied. Azaroth waited patiently for her to go on.

" Are you aware of the Kyrodin Guild?" Selene asked.

Serene turned to look at Azaroth's expression towards the question, which surprised her actually. He suddenly frowned at the word 'Kyrodin', and his usually cheerful expression became solemn all of a sudden. Serene was aware not to disturb the conversation, and she passively watched the both of them talk, believing that questions should be kept for a more suitable time later.

" Yes, of course I'm aware of them. I assume you know my case in the High Court," Azaroth replied.

" Indeed I do," Selene replied passively.

" That was years ago. Did the High Court judges decided that they were to lenient on me and decided that my life would be better spent in the Pronteran prison?" Azaroth scowled.

This was something new to Serene. Although it was true that she did not know him very well, never delving deep into each others past, Azaroth never struck Serene as a person who would get into trouble with the High Court, the place where criminals and criminal acts were seen to in the Court of Justice. It sounded like he was in a tussle with them before, and somehow he got scot-free, for whatever the reason.

" Please, it is rather unreasonable for you to get angry with me. Besides, I'm just the messenger here," Selene replied back calmly.

Azaroth's expression softened slightly, but his voice was still rather terse. " I know that. What do they want now?" he asked.

" I'm not here on an errand for the High Court, but I'm here under the Church's orders. Recently, we have an issue we need to solve, but unfortunately for the Cardinals they are unable to acquire a witness for their problem. Apparently it is in need of utmost secrecy, and I can't even tell you the details on what they want with you. However, all I do know is that they believe you have an answer to their questions," Selene replied, finishing her drink.

Azaroth merely nodded.

" The Church is willing to make a deal: If you come to Prontera to answer their questions, and if satisfactory, they will tell you information on a former guild member of the Kyrodin guild, which you may choose to seek as you see fit to your cause. They need an answer urgently, if not they will take other measures for the problem," Selene finished.

Azaroth started digesting her words, while pacing around the room. He started muttering to himself before asking " What if I go, but I refuse to answer the question upon being asked?"

" They said it was up to your discretion," Selene replied.

" Fine by me. When do we leave?" Azaroth asked.

" Anytime form now," Selene replied.

" Alright, give me a few minutes to pack my stuff, then we can leave," Azaroth said, leaving the hut. Serene eyed him for a while, before getting up and following him to the back of his hut, where he was collection his weapons and equipment.

" Care to tell me what was all that about?" Serene asked.

" Why do you want to know?" Azaroth asked. Surprisingly, his voice was neither harsh nor angry. Instead, he sounded amused by the question, a totally different expression Serene expected from him form her observations of his reaction towards the topic earlier.

The door of Azaroth's hut could be heard opening and closing, followed by soft footsteps of Selene walking out of the area. From the back of the hut, Azaroth could see Selene's shadow drift across his garden patch towards the middle of his small village. She was probably heading towards the villagers to have some short chat about religion and all that, typical of the people who serve under God's name, or either that she heard their voices and decided not to eavesdrop onto their conversation.

" Do you think I have a criminal record?" Azaroth asked, shifting through his small pile of equipment, ranging from ropes to spikes which he kept at the back.

" Not that I know of, but you did not tell me and I assumed a person of your character doesn't, unless random insults to the opposite sex is a crime among humans," Serene replied, her hands on her hips.

" And yes, you are right. I don't have a criminal record," Azaroth replied. " Well, not in a technical sense…"

" Why is that?"

Azaroth gave a sad sigh, his hands stopped searching for his equipment. " I'm quite sure you are not aware of what the Kyrodin Guild is, since you don't live in the Prontera or Geffen, but the Kyrodin guild was a notorious guild, mainly made up of swordsmen who would go around smaller villages and loot and plunder them, killing people as they go by. This mainly started about 5 years ago, but the guild had existed long before that, almost 20 years ago, if my guess is correct," Azaroth dropped himself on the ground as he explained his story.

" 20 years ago? Wait, aren't you 20 now?" Serene asked.

" Serene, my age has nothing to do about the founding of the guild, or whether it is a bloody coincidence," Azaroth replied.

" Not much is known about them, except that the members had existed long before 20 years ago. They grouped up together during that time and kept low, for whatever the reason. Then, after 15 years of silence, they emerged from the darkness. One by one, they desecrated village after village all around the country. After all the chaos they had wrecked, the army decided that enough was enough, and they sent in their best troops to halt their attacks. They killed most of the guild members and took the remaining ones to prison. After a trial…well, technically it was not a trial, since they were condemned to die anyway, they were executed by beheading," Azaroth answered.

" So, what does this group have to do with you?" Serene asked.

" Apparently, my father was the leader of the group," Azaroth replied in a deadpan manner.

" What?! What do you mean by apparently?" Serene exclaimed.

" I was born without a father. My mother told me that my father died, but that never really rang true. She was raped actually, a long time ago 20 years ago, but she did not want me to grow up with that shame. She always looked traumatized when she gazed long enough into my eyes. I was just a by-product of something traumatic that happened to her. Sure, she never blamed me, but I was just a cause for pain. She died before I was 12," Azaroth replied.

" So, this man, the leader of the Kyrodin group, was the man who raped your mother?" Serene asked quietly.

" Nope, that was never proven. My mother had been dead, and by the time the man was caught, there was no proof or witnesses to testify in court that he was my biological father. However, there was this funny thing," Azaroth replied, pausing as though he wanted to make his next statement sound dramatic. Serene waited patiently.

" He knew my name, Azaroth Crimson, even though he supposedly just raped my mother and left, and he knew that my mother would use her maiden name upon me. He even could give a exact description of me, from my hair length to the skin colour. So, imagine the surprise I had when a whole bunch of knights barged into my hut and swiftly escorted me to the capital to be executed for being that man's son," Azaroth replied.

" Well, obviously they did not execute me, since I am still here. But there was this huge argument on whether I should be executed along with the guild members I have caught. Since I was merely a kid, and that I was just the by-product, supposedly, of his lust, they had no grounds to charge me. But, of course, there are still people who think I should just hang myself for existing," Azaroth replied.

Serene kept quiet for a moment, before picking up the courage to ask " So, why are you interested in this group?"

" What drove them mad…"

" Excuse me?"

" Did you know what my father asked of me when I finally got to meet him? He asked me to take a blade and pass it to him so that he could kill me and allow his soul to rest in peace," Azaroth replied.

" Sounds like the words of a mad person…"

" Indeed, and all of them were. There was this look in their eyes that showed that they had gone insane, for whatever the reason. They were obsessed with killing, not for the likes of it, but 'to free their soul' as they kept repeating it. I did not understand what they meant, and nobody bothered to find out about it when they were all executed. I tried to look for sources around the city, but nobody really paid any attention to me…"

" So, you are going back again to look for this clue?"

" Depends, now that it has appeared, I should not let it go, should I?"

Selene turned around to see Azaroth and Serene emerging from the back of his hut, with Azaroth carrying a backpack on his back, slinging two swords in their sheath by his sides. The villagers she was talking to backed away slightly at the sight of him as if he was some vile disease. Selene felt it was weird, but taking account of his history, or what she heard about him, it came as no surprise.

" We are done here. I hope you won't mind me taking her along," Azaroth said, pointing a finger towards Serene.

" As long as you don't mind us taking a detour before heading to the city," Selene replied.

" Detour?" Azaroth asked, puzzled.

" I need to make a stop at a nearby village, Rayton. I'm sure you know it. I need to meet up with a small group of acolytes-in-training there to check on them, then I can warp all of us to the capital," Selene replied.

" I have no objections," Azaroth replied. Serene nodded in agreement.

_Writer's Note: The villages I mentioned don't exist in the game, but I needed more places than the cities and places stated in the game. I mean, where would all the rest of the people lived. The whole world can't be limited to a few cities, and I'm not about to limit myself. Never owned or seen or even know how to obtain either the Tsurugi or the Haedonggum in the game, but I just fancied their names, so I gave them as 'default' weapons to Azaroth. And adding an 'elf' (Serene) was just made last minute. No idea why I even wanted to put elves into this Ragnarok story._


	3. Chapter 2: A Forbidding Storm

**Chapter 2: A Forbidding Storm**

The sun was now covered up by the clouds in the sky, setting the evening for a very pleasant stroll. There was a lack of wind in the air, but the lack of heat made up for it. Azaroth made his way along the grassy plains towards Taykon, his leather boots moving swiftly along the plains, as his two female companions followed him from behind, all the while talking amicably to each other.

" So, what actually made you decide to come here?" Selene was heard asking.

" I guess I was more of a rebellious type of elf, in your terms. Never really wanted to listen to my mother. Besides, I've lived in the forests of Payon long enough. I figured I would rather explore the world than confine myself to the limits of the forest. Besides, I find the culture fascinating," Serene answered gleefully.

" Where do you stay now? Payon is of a great distance from here," Selene asked.

" Ah, I can sleep anywhere…dropping off on a branch of the tree comes natural to me," Serene replied, laughing.

" I do seem to remember that you can NEVER drop off at my place, and according to your description, looks like my hut is worse of than a branch," Azaroth replied, interrupting the conversation.

" Well, it does suck…" Serene replied.

They had been moving for almost an hour now and they were making quite good progress by Azaroth's standards. Selene was rather amicable, very friendly and easy to chat with. She told them a lot of things, about events going on into the city and her job as a priestess. Strangely enough, especially coming from a female, Azaroth now even knew her age.

" We have been walking for too long…" Serene whined.

" We only have been walking for one hour," Azaroth shot back.

" Why can't we take a five minute break for a while?" Serene asked.

" Because I smell trouble," Azaroth replied grimly, suddenly drawing both his swords. Selene and Serene were totally taken aback as Azaroth started dashing up ahead, passing a small knoll and crashing through the bush. His footsteps died out after a while.

" What just happened?" Selene asked.

Serene was a bout to reply when she started sniffing the air. There was no mistake about it: there was smoke in the air, and her elven senses told her it was rather thick and dense. Selene seemed to have smelled it too, as both of them took of immediately into Azaroth's direction.

The sight that greeted them was gruesome. After passing the knoll and coming out from behind a line of bushes, located right in front of them about 200 meters away was a burning village. The entire place was set on fire, and the remnants of the houses that once stood there were now burning into ashes. From the looks of it, it seemed that the village was just burnt down recently.

But the more gruesome sight was of the bodies of the dead villagers that surrounded the place, lying crumpled all over the place spotting gruesome wounds. The ground was slightly coloured in red, and now that they were this close, the smell of burning bodies could be tasted in the air.

" Oh my God," Selene gasped, remembering that she was suppose to meet a group of acolytes here. Fearing the worst, she immediately took after Azaroth, who was already dashing through the village in a futile attempt to find anyone alive.

The smell of death was even more apparent when she entered the village compound, which was slightly overwhelming. But her years in the army had hardened Selene somewhat to the point where the smell was just excruciatingly bad. She had more things to worry about than the smell.

She started to look around desperately, hoping to find any clue on whether the acolytes were had shared the same fate as the poor villagers had, but she was really hoping she would not find them at all, meaning that they had somehow escaped. Her heart jumped when she heard her name being called, realising that is was only Azaroth calling out to her.

Following the direction of his voice and avoiding a burning house, she arrived at what looked like the village's square where Azaroth stood in the middle. She did not like what she saw.

Right where Azaroth stood was the body of a man, but not just any man. He was dressed as a priest to show his rank and job. He was obviously dead, lying face down with his head missing from his neck. There was this large pool of blood seeping from where his head was severed off.

" One of yours, I presume?" Azaroth replied, sheathing his weapons. Selene merely nodded, trying to keep her tears back.

" I didn't see any acolytes, and from the looks of the houses, I don't think they were trapped inside or anything. I doubt they are here. Do you suppose he opened a warp portal to allow them to escape?" Azaroth asked, looking at the body.

" I suppose he did. That's what we would do," Selene replied.

" Hey!" Both of them heard Serene exclaim out loud. They spotted her running towards them.

" I don't get this…it looks like the only reason they were here was just to burn this place to the ground. I made a quick search in the houses and it appears that nothing was stolen, possibly not even a loaf a bread. Whoever did this just did it just for the sake of destroying this place," Serene replied.

" The problem is…what did this?" Azaroth replied.

" What? Don't you mean who?" Serene asked.

" Nope, I don't think so. Here is what I deduced so far: whatever did this did not do it alone, that's for sure. There is just too much destruction to be accounted for. Slash wounds and beheadings show that the weapon of choice here are swords. The thing is, they were very blunt swords," Azaroth replied, bending down towards the dead priest's body. Both Selene and Serene took a look.

Just below of where the neck was severed off, there were two horizontal lines marking sword wounds where he had been hacked at. Apparently, whoever beheaded him had to chop his neck three time before it came off.

" Zombie soldiers…" Selene gasped.

" What?" Azaroth exclaimed.

" If whoever did this was not human, then the only creature I can think of who uses dulled, blunt swords are zombie soldiers," Selene replied. She was right in a way. When they were summoned, they would rise from the ground, carrying their old weapons that were buried along with them. Since the zombie isn't capable of thought, it will carry and use its sword until it breaks. The sword was dulled during the course of its time underground.

" Maybe…the question is: What the hell are they doing here?" Azaroth asked. That was not a question either of them could answer, evident as Selene and Serene shook their heads.

" I'll take a look around. Keep an eye on things. We'll meet back here in 15 minutes," Azaroth replied, running off to take another look around town. Serene watched him run off, before turning her attention to Selene, who was looking around sadly, lost in her thoughts.

-

Azaroth searched the place, looking for clues on any signs of entry. If something really attacked the town, then it must have come from somewhere. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no visible tracks leading in or out of the village. The village was small enough to go around it quickly, but even after a second try, he could not find any traces of people coming in, or even leaving.

If zombies came here, they would be the easiest to track. The thing that troubled Azaroth was that there were no tracks, and with that the possibility of zombies attacking the village being zero.

He observed the blood trails made by the villagers. There were not many footprints, but Azaroth noticed track marks definitely not made by humans nor domesticated animals that the villager bred. They were more like large, deep impressions of wheels, except they stopped between intervals. Azaroth deduced that they were marks made by dragging feet, which matched the zombie theory.

The problem was he had no idea how the zombies came here.

None of the tracks led to the outside, which meant that they did not enter from the outside, and they did not leave at all. Which meant two other options: they flew here, transported by flying creature like griffins or wyverns and were transported back out, or either that they emerged from the ground where the village was placed, and then later went back in the depths of the earth.

Azaroth doubted the latter theory. To summon zombies from the ground, first of all there had to be fresh corpses from beneath the ground. It was traditional of villagers to burn the bodies of the ones who had passed away, leaving no vessel to be raised again as the undead. Secondly, the ground had to be corrupted in some fashion, or the surrounding environment. Lastly, a powerful spell or enchantment was needed to summon the dead...usually. The village probably fitted none of the criteria above.

As Azaroth decided his investigation time was up and was ready to head back to where Selene and Serene were, he suddenly spotted something on the ground. Directly to his right, where there was quite an amount of blood shed on the ground, was a particular scene. Right in the middle of an empty area where three burning houses once stood, the ground was glowing slightly red. Not just any red. The eerie, dark red glow that lighted the small patch on the ground.

Azaroth cautiously walked up to the glowing spot. Closer now, he could see that there were lines that were traced beneath the soil which emitted the red glow. Azaroth could not really make it out, but he was quite sure they looked like ancient runes scribbled on the ground. Getting down on his knees, he started to dig about the soil that covered the glowing runes, revealing them from beneath.

What Azaroth discovered was astounding. The runes did not cover a small area. As he continued to move the surrounding soil away, more red glowing runes started to appear, and the spot Azaroth initially discovered was getting larger and larger, until it reached a size of about 2 feet in diameter. What was worse was it looked like it was not going to stop. The runes were now glowing brighter now, probably due to the fact that Azaroth revealed up such a large number.

" What the hell are these runes doing here?' Azaroth asked himself.

" Want to know?" a dark, deep voice answered his question from behind him. Azaroth spun around, his hand to the hilt of his sword as a dark shadow approached him from behind.

-

" What's taking that moron so long?" Serene grumbled. " He's is already a couple of minutes late!"

" It is just a couple of minutes," Selene replied.

" Apparently you don't know that elves are very particular with punctuality," Serene replied, now pacing up and down a chosen path.

" Maybe something happened to him, or he found out something. Why don't we go look for him?" Selene suggested. " It would be better than waiting here for him to come back. I think he went in this direction," Selene continued, walking towards the direction Azaroth took off to earlier without waiting for Serene to agree with her.

-

" What the hell?!" Azaroth cried, gritting his teeth as he instantly drew both his weapons.

The large, abominable figure of a wraith hovered several feet above the ground, just right behind Azaroth. The horrendous stench that seemed to seep out of its grotesque body was overwhelming, forcing Azaroth to step back a few paces. The floating corpse was grinning, or so Azaroth thought as he saw the impression etched on its skull. Long, swirling robes of blue and crimson waved around the creature, as it looked at Azaroth in a rather amused fashion.

Azaroth was not too sure what was going on. Wraiths never appear all of a sudden in the middle of small villages. They usually wander around in the cursed halls of caves and dark places where few would tread. The chance of a wraith appearing like this was about as equivalent to Azaroth becoming a female.

" I was not aware that there were any more survivors, unless you came from somewhere else," the wraith replied.

" What the hell are you here for?" Azaroth demanded.

" Why…a spirited one, this one is…" the Wraith replied, almost mockingly. Azaroth angrily slashed out at the monster with his blade, but it merely floated aside, the blade tearing at its already torn rags that covered its body.

" Are you responsible for this?!" Azaroth demanded yet again.

" And what if I am? Besides, I would like to claim credit for such an action, but alas, that is not for me to say," the Wraith replied. Azaroth decided this was one cheeky Wraith, and he did not like it one bit.

" Why are you so interested in that patch of runes on the ground? If you are so interested, I'll show you what they really are…" the Wraith replied, raising both its skeletal arms in the air, like it was worshipping or begging for something. Azaroth felt a tremor beneath his feet as if the ground started to shift. More alarmingly, the soil on the ground seemed to start sieving, as the soil started to disappear to reveal the real size of the red glowing runes.

They soil gave way and Azaroth was surrounded in a large, glowing circle. The glowing runes surrounded the area in a circular shape, over 10 feet in diameter. It started resonating with some kind of evil power, and it seemed to grow brighter. Unconceivable runes started glow in an incandescent light, lighting the floor with unreadable words in a language Azaroth was unfamiliar with. Azaroth decided he had seen enough, and rushed forward to stop whatever the Wraith was trying to accomplish. However, after taking two steps, his foot hooked on to something on the floor and he fell flat down onto the ground.

" Rise, my minions, and serve your lord under the mark of the Darkblade," the Wraith howled horribly.

In an instant, what looked like a hundred pair of hands shot up from the ground. Azaroth had seen grey, decaying flesh of zombies to get what kind of hands he was seeing. The hands groped the surfaces of the ground, then slowly but surely, pulled the mangled, dead bodies of an undead warrior from the depths below. Soon, the area was punctuated with moaning cries of the undead as their heads, followed by their broken, skeletal bodies, emerged from the ground like one rising to the surface of water.

Azaroth spotted a pair of hands grappling his feet, and a head groaning at him in a rather pitiful way. Instinctively, he grabbed both his swords tightly and swung it at the zombie who was holding him to the ground, one towards the head and one towards the hands that held him to the ground. With a quick snap, both swords cut off the intended joints and he was free.

He quickly tried to aim for the Wraith, but it had now floated over several zombies, and Azaroth would have to hack through several of them to reach to him. Most of them, he noticed, carrying old, broken weapons, like swords and axes, most of them rusty. The thing worse than a sharpened blade was a rusty one, as Azaroth realized that getting hit by one of the blades might prove fatal in the time to come.

" I will now watch you die," the Wraith said laughing, as the entire swarm of undead started to close in on him.

Azaroth immediately gave a rough glance to look for the area with the least zombies to cut his way out. Spotting one on the left, he immediately dashed off and hacked violently onto the zombie with his swords, severing the undead creature into two parts. Two of them swung their axes clumsily at him, which he easily dodged, before swiftly cutting them down, before channeling his strength to one of his blades and powerfully bashing one on the skull, blowing its brains out.

Azaroth decided it was almost a hopeless attempt to break through the swarm. The zombies were closing in on him faster than he could hack at their lines. He needed another means of escape, and he needed to decide fast.

Drawing two of his swords back so that they were behind his back, Azaroth took a second to concentrate his energy on his sword. As he angled his swords to a certain degree, he tried to focus on his target, rather difficult in the current situation, but he knew this technique is the deciding factor of whether he will live, or die in the next few seconds. Giving a loud war cry, he swung his blades forward in an arced circular motion.

There was a whoosh of air, before a violent ripple blasted through the zombie lines. Two, almost invisible lines started to trace themselves in mid-air, running along in circular lines. As these lines reached the zombies, astonishingly, it ripped them apart, like a blade of air cutting through them. The wind blade blasted through the undead line for about 20 meters before stopping.

" What a technique!" Azaroth could hear the Wraith exclaim aloud, but he had not time to pay attention to the Wraith's reaction.

His technique had cleared an area in the zombie formation, which he started to rush through. Hacking several zombies out of the way, Azaroth made a short beeline towards the nearest, crumbled down house, which thankfully, the foundations were still intact. Sheathing his blades, he grabbed onto on of the side pillars of the house, and holstered himself up, just as the zombies reached his legs. He clambered to what were the remains of the roof, which started to crack under his weight.

" That was no ordinary technique, human. How did you come to obtain it?" the Wraith asked Azaroth.

Azaroth glared at the Wraith, wondering what it was that attracted his attention. Azaroth had been a self-taught swordsman, and most of his techniques were honed in fighting wild animals in their natural habitat, unlike soldiers in the army who trained in barracks and in war. Other than the regular techniques he learned, he developed a few of his own.

One of his best was the attack he used earlier, which he named "Last Strike". He found that utilizing the same technique when executing a Bash attack, but by distributing his power in a different manner and angling his sword in a certain angle, he was able to create a ripple of air from the slash that was able to project itself forward, and still act as an attack. But the attack was far from perfect, and Azaroth had even surprised himself that his attack could even reach 20 meters.

Ignoring the curious Wraith, Azaroth ran all the way towards the opposite end of the house, balancing himself on the precariously broken down house frame. He jumped off just in time as it cracked, hitting the ground feet first. Picking himself up, he came face-to-face with several zombies that were quick enough to chase him, but were suddenly cut down all of a sudden.

" Come on, let's go," a voice called up to him. Azaroth glanced slightly to the left to see both Serene and Selene keeping the zombies at bay, Selene blasting them to smithereens with her Holy power and Serene picking them off at a further distance with her bow.

Azaroth did not need to be told twice. The two girls spun around and started to run as soon as Azaroth caught up to their position. The zombies, limbs partially destroyed from death and decay, were just too slow to catch up with them. A remaining few that stood around were instantly cut down by Azaroth's blades or Selene's Holy power.

" What the hell is going on here?" Selene demanded, just blowing a zombie out of her way by waving her hand and blasting a force of white energy that disintegrated the enemy.

" How should I know? All of a sudden this Wraith appears and he starts summoning all these zombies that are not even supposed to be here!" Azaroth retorted.

" Wraith summoning zombies? Is that even possible?" Serene asked as they ran.

" I could care less. We need to get out of here. Selene, can you open a warp portal?" Azaroth asked.

" I can't…"

" What?"

" Look here. I would have opened up a warp portal already if I could!" Selene replied.

" What do you…"

" Something is blocking my energy that allows me to open a warp in space to use a warp portal. Some seal of some sort, but I'm not sure why such a seal of such power even exist in this village," Selene replied.

Azaroth's mind started moving back to the red runes that the Wraith made to appear on the ground. Maybe besides acting as a medium to call the dead, it acted as a seal to block Selene's power. How it worked was beyond Azaroth's experience to answer, but he had more pressing things to worry about.

" I have an idea why, but we'll leave that for later. Now, we need to leave the place," Azaroth replied, leading the way out. The both of them nodded their heads in agreement and followed him obediently.

Thankfully, they were met with little resistance when exiting the village, most of the zombies, mainly surrounding the seal in the middle of the village, leaving the outskirts mostly empty. The three of them slowed down, trying to catch their breath as they were safely away from the village, the closest zombie towards them about several hundred meters away.

" Oh God, what a day!" Serene groaned, slumping on the ground, limbs stretched out, taking in deep breaths..

" Would you like to explain what happened?" Selene asked Azaroth, who was panting as well. He was about to answer when he felt a large shadow suddenly surrounding him, followed by a piercing cry.

The Wraith had suddenly appeared next to them, like it warped right next to them, and now it wrapped its bony arms around Selene and lifted her up from the ground after firmly gripping her by the neck. Serene had her bow up and armed and was about to shoot when the Wraith started to pass demonic energy that crackled with purple sparks into Selene's body. Selene cried in agony as she felt he body start to burn as the dark magic coursed through her body.

" Selene!" Azaroth yelled, drawing his sword but was unsure of what action he was suppose to take. Serene did not dare shoot with the nagging doubt that she might hit Selene, but was sure that the Wraith would not let go unless it had killed her.

" Not bad, humans…I'm impressed," the Wraith laughed scornfully.

" Unhand me, you foul dead creature!" Selene yelled.

Despite the pain, Selene still found the strength to collect her energies. She suddenly erupted in bright light, sending powerful blasts of Holy energy back towards the Wraith in return. Taken aback and unable to react, the Wraith took the whole attack and blew up, bursting into flames. It dropped to the ground, bringing Selene along with it.

" Selene!" Both Azaroth and Serene exclaimed, rushing towards her aid. There were no visible wounds, but the skin of her body felt like it was sizzling, and smoke seemed to rise from her body. She started coughing out blood, staining the front of her dress in her blood. Her eyes seemed out of focus and she felt that she was loosing her senses. The last thing she saw was the blurry images of Azaroth and Selene over her, before the darkness engulfed her. Then, there was silence.

_Writer's note: I must admit, Selene and Serene are taken from the same name. Since Serene was a new character I recently created fro the story, I was just too lazy to think of a different name, so I just adjusted Selene's name by one letter. Lazy me..._

_I seem to have a thing for undead beings. My first ever fanfic (not posted here...it's incomplete and locked up in some obscure place in my computer) had undead beings as well. Technically, my other fanfic on RE is also about the undead. I seem to like dead people._

_Never used a priest in the game, but I think they use books as a weapon. Now, if I write down here that Selene used a dictionary or the Holy Bible to beat the crap out of a zombie, that would be so hilarious and slightly nonsensical in a way, so books are definitely not used as a weapon here...priests here use smaller weapons or their magic to fight, or they use their bare fists._


	4. Chapter 3: The True Reason

**Chapter 3: The True Reason**

The first thing Selene felt was a calm, floating sensation where her body was hovering in the air. She was not sure where she was floating to, but it did not really matter. She could not feel her body, as if her senses were disconnected somehow from her. No sense of touch, no sense of sound and no sense of sound. The only thing she was aware of was that she was floating, which did not really make sense since she could not feel anything, so how did she know she was floating?

Then, she heard something, barely audible, but it sounded like someone shouting. She was not too sure who was shouting or who it was directed to, but she somehow felt it was towards her. Then, the voices faded away. It did not really matter to her.

Selene was not aware of how long she was had this floating feeling. She had no sense of time and direction, rendering her time here feeling like hours, but at the same time she felt it was not that long. What seemed antagonistically like hours ended rather abruptly when her eyes suddenly registered light. Bright, incandescent light. Was this what people talked about, the end of the tunnel where the soul travels to heaven and enters God's domain? If it was so, then God must have a very sadistic approach to death for making her wait for so long.

She was not sure what she was really looking at. The bright light that seem to shine down from some circular beacon made her squint. After what seemed like a minute looking at this bright light, it suddenly hit her that she was looking at the sun.

" Thank God you are up," a voice said suddenly, sounding really relieved. It also sounded familiar.

Then, all at once, her senses returned to her. First, the sensation of her body returned, and she felt that she could control her body now, which felt extremely heavy, like someone had strapped lead plates on her. Then, she could tastes blood in her mouth. There was a whirl of noises around her, and the blue sky started to expand around the bright sun, although her vision was out of focus. The last to hit her was the overwhelming pain of a thousand needles piercing her body.

" Ugh..." Selene groaned, writhing slightly in pain.

" Hang on, don't move. You need to rest, after what happened to you," Azaroth's voice floated into her ear. A pair of hands laid themselves on her, trying to hold her down for her to relax.

Selene waited for a while for the pain in her body to subside, before slowly trying to get her bearings. As her vision started to come into focus, she saw both Azaroth and Serene leaning over her, both worried and relieved expressions etched on their faces.

" Feeling better now?" Azaroth asked.

" I think so," Selene said, her voice sounding weak.

" Ah, typical of you," another voice replied.

Selene took a look around at the direction where the voice came from to see who else was around. Her eyes spotted two figures at the background. One was a male, dressed in tightly bound lengths of cloth and leather garments. He had a blank look on his face, owing much to the long scarf that was wrapped around his neck, covering most of his face except his expressionless pale eyes. A pair of katars that he was wielding indicated that he was an assassin.

The other figure was a more familiar one, and was just the one who had spoken to her moments ago. Dressed in simple garments and covered with a flowing, white cloak, she walked right up to Selene. She wore a very roguish, mischievous smile on her face, which was accentuated with the twinkle in her eyes.

" Vermillion?" Selene gasped weakly.

" Ho, strong enough to remember me, eh? Guess your brain is in good shape, despite that attack you took," Vermillion replied in her usual boyish tone, with her hands akimbo.

" What a coincidence that you should know her," Azaroth replied.

" A friend of yours?" Selene asked.

" Yes," Azaroth replied.

" We aren't really friends. We just work together under the same order," Selene replied.

" Aw, what the hell. And after I saved your life this the damn appreciation you are giving me. That is an all time low, especially for you. Only person here who shouldn't give a shit about things would be me, and that's because I'm qualified for that," Vermillion shot back.

" Talkative as usual…did they kick you out again?" Selene asked.

" Oh, shut up!" Vermillion shouted, her voice suddenly turning rather offensive.

" Kick you out? Kick you out of what?" Azaroth asked, sounding amused.

" Well, you should know that Vermillion has a lot of disciplinary problems, and for that, she is always being banished from the Circle of Monks for disregarding orders and misbehaving in the church, or anywhere within the vicinity or affiliates of the church. The only thing that keeps her in the Circle is her mentor and her violent fighting skills," Selene replied, almost laughing.

Vermillion pointed her finger angrily at Selene, saying " I would beat you if you were not in such a condition!"

Azaroth got up and held Vermillion back, trying to calm her down just in case she did any damage to the already weakened Selene. " Hey, come on, don't beat up the patient. Is that what they thought you in your monk school?" Azaroth replied.

" Monastery, you dimwit, and I only became a monk because I needed way of releasing all my pent up energy," Vermillion declared, shaking Azaroth's hands of her.

" Yeah, beating a couple of people up…really character building…" Serene snorted.

" Shut up, elf!"

" Vermillion, why are you here?" Selene asked.

" Hey, just to let you know, I was not here to save your ass," Vermillion quickly replied.

" I had figured that out years ago, Vermillion. You are avoiding the question," Selene replied.

" Well, go figure. Everybody is so busy at the city, they can't even give a damn about a bunch of kids. I dunno, but I was just doing my stuff when there was this report where there was this strange things being sighted at the far outskirts of the city, where all the farming villages lie. But, somehow, everybody seems to busy to do anything else, so I head out here on my own just to look for signs of trouble. And what do you know, the first town I visit I find a bunch of terrified kids who said their mentor teleported them here and that some village was under attack or something. Asking them to get back to the capital, I made my way here and viola, I find Azaroth and his elf girlfriend here dragging you along, half-dead," Vermillion said rather dramatically, with her hands moving about.

" I guess I should be thankful that you are here," Selene said. Her attention was suddenly diverted when the assassin turned his head around to look elsewhere.

" Who is he?" Selene asked, feeling worried that an assassin was in their presence, although through Azaroth, Serene and Vermillion's reactions to his presence, there seemed to be no sense of alarm.

Vermillion was about to speak when Azaroth cut in, saying quickly " He's a friend of mine. Don't be alarmed, he's quite….docile, if the word suits him."

Selene sense there was something else, but she felt too tired and weak to further broach upon the subject. She gave a sigh, and dropped her head back down and closing her eyes to get some rest. It was then when Vermillion whispered loudly into Azaroth's ears.

" What was that for?!" she demanded.

" V, you are already in trouble with the church and your Circle with all these antics of yours. And as far as I know, the Cardinals are a bunch of traditional, old geezers who don't believe that anyone out of Prontera should even be allowed into the Holy Order. Not to say that you and Krayken don't go well together, but the last thing the church needs to know is that you are associated with an assassin. It's not like the Circle really wants to keep you anyway…" Azaroth whispered back, careful not to allow Selene to hear what he had said.

" Aw, thanks for the thought, I really needed it," Vermillion said mockingly.

" Just shut up and check on Selene. And for goodness sake, don't fight with Serene," Azaroth replied, slapping her on the back. Vermillion grunted, but she obeyed, kneeling next to Selene's prone body to check on her status.

Azaroth had gotten used to treating Vermillion like a male, and Vermillion liked it that way. Vermillion was the most talkative, violent, foul-mouth tomboy anyone can find within the entire country, and if someone could beat that, it would be a day Azaroth never picked up a sword again. She hails from the city of Juno, renowned for sages and wisdom. However, she fitted neither group, and was predictably an outcast in her society.

Azaroth met Vermillion Striker in the city of Prontera when he was taken there as being a suspect in the massacre done by the Kyrodin. After he was kicked out of the church for trying to enter again, he started moping around the city's streets. Trying one of the bars, he was quite surprised to be thrown out about as quick as he entered by a drunk girl his age, who was obviously drunk and brandishing an empty bottle as a weapon. The rest was history.

Azaroth walked up quietly towards the assassin, who got up from leaning against a nearby tree. After moving some distance, Krayken replied " I guess I should have left when I had the chance."

" Don't bother about it," Azaroth replied.

" You might get in trouble," Krayken replied.

" I figure I'm already in trouble," Azaroth replied.

" Besides, what were you doing with the priestess? Not very natural of you, unless she has some official business with you, which would make your comment on being in trouble sensible," Krayken replied, his voice sounding very deep.

" The Cardinals are offering a trade off I can't refuse. I just need to go to the city and find out what they have," Azaroth replied.

" The only thing stimulating enough would be about the Kyrodin Guild, am I correct?" Krayken replied. Azaroth merely nodded in agreement.

" You know, I doubt that the Cardinals really know anything about the matter. Something about this doesn't feel right. I'd prefer it if you stay here, away from the city. Well, technically not here, since it's rather unsafe to stay since after what happened. Vermillion and I have warned the other nearby villagers, and if they have enough brains, they'd leave the place here and head for the city for the meantime," Krayken replied sophisticatedly.

Azaroth nodded. Krayken may be an assassin, but he was an assassin who followed a moral code. Krayken was an outcast from his village, after a murder incident which he claimed was an accident. Being banished into the criminal world, he decided to become an assassin out of spite, intending to pay back what the village had humiliated him with, although after completing years of training he found out he lacked the hate to do so.

" Anyway, it is unconfirmed, but there seems to be a ruckus in Prontera. I'm not sure what it is, but it seems the Cardinals are keeping things quiet. The general populace doesn't know what is happening though, but there is something fishy going on. For them to be asking you to go, it feels like it is too much of a coincidence," Krayken replied.

" I'm not that worried. Maybe it has something to do with me helping them. Maybe I have some information they need to solve this problem," Azaroth replied.

" I'm not that convinced."

" I'm not worried...I think," Azaroth replied. " By the way, nice to see you here. I'm surprised you actually were around the area."

"I was merely dropping by when I bumped into Vermillion. She then dragged me along, so I had no choice in that, really," Krayken sighed.

" Hunting anyone now?" Azaroth asked.

" As a matter of fact, I am. I'm traveling up to meet our 'old friend' there, where we will meet up before I leave for my task. I must take my leave now. You should be in no trouble now," Krayken said.

" Why can't you stay? Follow me to the city," Azaroth requested.

" Alas, my friend, I must decline. Although would very much appreciate your company, but I'm not a welcoming sight in the city. Besides, I have a task to perform. I doubt the priestess there would not really appreciate my presence. I will meet up soon, I believe. Take care," Krayken said, before walking off to the north. Azaroth wanted to stop him to make him stay longer, but he knew that was uncalled for, so he decided to let him leave.

He walked back to the group, where Vermillion was now dosing off under the sun. Selene was still resting, her eyes closed in peaceful slumber. Only Serene seemed alert and awake.

---

Selene woke up to the smell of roasted meat. The sun had fallen a couple of hours ago, and the sky was engulfed in darkness, yet there was a faint orange glow somewhere, bright enough to illuminate the area and tell her senses that she was still lying down on the ground in the middle of a mildly dense forest.

" Here, we made this for you," Serene said, sitting down next to her as she held a bowl in her hand and a piece of meat skewered by a stick. She helped Selene sit up slowly so that she could feed her. Using a makeshift spoon from a small blade, Serene carefully fed Selene, careful not to cut her with the end of the blade as she placed it in her mouth after dipping it in the bowl.

" What is this?" Selene asked, after tasting the rather rich, thick stew Serene had given her.

" Some stew we made...relax, nothing dangerous. We needed to make something healthy for you since you are in such a condition. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe and it's real good," Serene replied. " Surprisingly, Azaroth and Vermillion are very good cooks."

" I was not asking about that, as I can obviously figure that myself from what I'm eating," Selene replied.

" Ah, well, some familiar meat and a mixture of herbs that I found," Serene replied, feeding Selene another mouthful.

Selene took another glance around the place. The three of them had built a fire around the clearing, which was now burning down to its embers. Vermillion could be seen snuggling up to the warmth of the fire, fast asleep and snoring silently. Azaroth, however, was nowhere to be seen.

" Where is Azaroth?" Selene asked.

" Well, he's up keeping guard for a while," Serene replied.

" What for?"

" Well, the undead where summoned, and although they have disappeared..."

" Disappeared?!"

" Well, there was no trace of them after you blew up that monster, so we are guessing that they were forced to go back into the ground where they came from. We did a short investigation of the place and we found nothing there to say undead were there. Of course, none of us have any Holy magic to check really properly, so we could only search superficially. Azaroth is worried they might arise again, so Krayken and Vermillion had earlier warned the nearby villagers about what happened, so if they would listen to us, they would be heading to the city right now. He's keeping watch just in case any trouble arises," Serene explained.

" Shouldn't we also leave?" Selene asked, feeling worried. " I'm wounded, but I think..."

" Azy is in the opinion that we rest here for a while till you regain some of your strength back. He sees no point in stressing you out first with traveling or warping back to the city. When tomorrow comes, we will head there. Besides, if there is an emergency, Vermillion will immediately open a warp portal for us to leave immediately. No worries," Serene replied, smiling. Selene sighed, then accepted their decision.

-

Azaroth waited a few feet away, staring at the remains of the nearby village which they had entered earlier. The fire had mostly burned away, leaving small red glows of embers that just refused to go out. He had both his swords drawn and ready by his side, just in case something happened. He had no reason to suspect the undead would rise again so fast, but he hated to be so sure.

He tried to make sense of what happened. The seal he saw on the ground was certainly something that acted as a medium or a spell that worked in a way to channel dark energies to summon the dead. The thing was: how did it work. This was the first time he had seen, or even heard of, such power that worked to such a degree. And, where did the bodies come from? Undead beings need a vessel to survive, like a body, or even simpler like a skeleton. One does not create bodies of the dead simply from scratch. Either someone had placed bodies there before, or the zombies crawled to that spot from beneath the ground or an even worse case scenario would be that the seal actually created zombies.

" Whatcha doing?" Serene asked, sitting down next to him.

" Just thinking about what happened today and all that. My God, what a long day it is," Azaroth sighed. " I'd be glad to reach the capital and get some rest."

" How do you think all those undead came about?" Serene asked.

" I can only give theories at this point. A real investigation will have to be carried out to search for the cause. We better not mess with things here," Azaroth replied.

" I'm alright with that," Serene replied, lying down on the grass.

" How's Selene?"

" I've fed her already, and according to Vermillion, she should regain much of her strength by tomorrow. She's sleeping quite soundly now. Vermillion had dosed off some time ago," Serene replied.

" Great. Why don't you get some sleep?" Azaroth suggested.

" Bah, don't worry about me," Serene replied.

" I'm not. I need you to keep watch later, and you'll need to save your strength," Azaroth replied.

" Oh, and here I thought you were worried about me," Serene replied, giving a mocking face of dejection.

Azaroth gave a chuckle and turned his head away. Getting up, Serene walked back to the simple encampment they had established and laid down to sleep

---

" Get up, you lazy bum," Azaroth cried, giving Vermillion a kick on her back when she turned around and ignored his normal attempts to wake her up. The sun had already arisen a couple of hours ago. Vermillion grunted, but slowly got up, so Azaroth decided not to bother her anymore.

The night had passed by peacefully with no further disturbances, with Serene and Vermillion successfully completing their watch. The last of the fires had finally burned out in the devastated village, leaving a charred black ruins. Azaroth gave once last glance at the destroyed village, before turning around to see Selene approach him.

" Are you sure you are strong enough to walk around?" Azaroth asked.

" I disliked being treated like I can't stand for myself. I'm made of far better stuff than you can imagine," Selene replied, sounding offended.

Azaroth shrugged his shoulders and gave a hearty laugh, much to Selene's displeasure from the way she scowled. " Well, no point camping out here any longer. If you are strong enough to move, then we better start heading to the city where you can get proper treatment for your injuries. Let's go find Vermillion," Azaroth replied, trotting back into the small campsite they made.

Vermillion was yawning loudly and stretching herself while Serene was busily packing all their equipment. Spotting Azaroth coming, she asked " Ready to go?"

Azaroth eyed Serene as she placed the last of their items in her sack. " Ready when you are," he replied.

Clasping her hands together, Vermillion muttered a few words under her breath and drew a few sigils in mid-air, which left traces of white luminescence. Soon enough, there was a rush of air in their faces as the warp portal opened up, a white circle opening up slowly where they stood, which was enough for one person to stand.

Azaroth stepped in first, and he felt a weird pressurizing feeling enclosing all around him, before it released him and he felt his feet on firm ground again. He stepped away from the portal and Selene came out of it, followed by Serene. The last to come was Vermillion.

It was customary for the person who open, or can open, warp portals to go last. During a war or an emergency, they found out they during traveling through warp portals they could be interrupted by other sources, and if the unit who opened the warp portal had already traveled through the warp portal, the ones left behind were doomed. Priests and monks usually went last, since if there was a problem, they could open another warp portal somewhere else.

" Still the same look…" Serene sighed.

All of them too a quick look at the Pronteran city. All they could see was the great outer wall that was fortified with tons of stones, shielding the city and making it, literarily, a city in a fortress. The different tones in colour of the stones that fortified the walls of the fortress showed that it had been repaired over and over again over time since its foundation. Some of the guards looked at the newcomers with surprise, as Azaroth could see them looking down at the four of them with surprised looks, while whispering to one another.

The four of them headed towards the main gate, which was a sturdy 100 foot tall wooden gate. It started to creak open as they arrived, and they entered the city when the gates were big enough, with Azaroth taking the lead.

No sooner than when he entered the city's grounds, a whole swarm of knights pounced upon Azaroth like menacing wolves, their total weight suppressing Azaroth to the ground. Azaroth was caught unawares, and before he knew it, there were about 5 knights wearing heavy armour all piled up on him, each holding a part of him on the ground. Several more came up and quickly relieved him of his weapons.

" What the hell…?" he started, but the only reply he got was a painful shove of his head to the muddy floor. Serene and Vermillion were alarmed at such an action, and were already ready to fight, but several guards made a wall around them, holding them back from Azaroth. The only person they did not touch was Selene, who looked at the on-goings without the slightest idea what was going on.

" Let us go, you damn bastards!" Vermillion yelled angrily, not to be easily put down without a fight. She violently let loose a punch that went straight to the face of on of the knights, knocking him a few feet backwards. Five more knights surrounded her to hold her down, but she only decided to struggle even more. They had to use twice the amount of people holding both Azaroth and Serene down to keep her at bay.

" Hey, what's this?! Let me go!" Azaroth cried, squirming slightly.

" Do not resist," one of them replied back.

" But, I…" Azaroth tried to protest, but the guy lost his patience and drew his sword, pressing the cold steel against Azaroth's neck, which promptly shut him up.

Selene stepped forward and asked " What is going on here? I was asked by the Cardinals to bring this man to the church, by a special request. Why are you holding him in such a fashion?"

" There is nothing wrong. We are following orders from the Cardinals," a deep, female voice replied from behind her. Selene spun around to see who had spoken to her. She immediately spotted a female crusader, donned in full plated armour along with her greaves and steel gloves, walking up to her. Serene looked at the exchange, unsure what was happening, while Vermillion was still trying to beat the crap out of everyone who was holding her.

The crusader executed a backhand and her fist landed hard upon the back of Vermillion's neck. She gave a cry of surprise, her body going numb from the attack. " Calm yourself, it is not you we are arresting, but if you want to further aggravate the situation, it will be my blade connecting with the back of your neck the next time I strike," the crusader replied, harshly. Vermillion did not reply and stopped struggling, mainly due to the fact that the hit had mainly knocked her dizzy.

"Lieutenant Melanie," Selene gasped, seeing the familiar face of her comrade-in-arms.

" Well, 'Sis', it's technically now 'Captain Melanie', but we don't really need to be so formal when we address one another, don't we?" Melanie remarked, calling her friend affectionately by her nickname and grinning despite the situation. Selene looked confused, unsure what to say.

" What is all this about?" Selene asked.

" You were asked to escort this person back in a trade-off for information," Melanie replied " But in fact, there was another reason for brining him here, and we had to keep the information confidential to avoid trouble and for convenience sake."

Selene was still not sure what was really going on.

Unsheathing her sword, Melanie walked up to Azaroth and placed the blade precariously over his head. " Azaroth Crimson, you are hereby charged for the murder of Cardinal Crenarius Morison. You are now placed under arrest under the combined order of the Holy Order and the Pronteran Army. Take him away!"

_Writer's note: I must say something about the usages of magic here. The healing spell is used differently here in my fanfic. In the game, anyone who can use a Heal spell, can automatically recover all the HP of a character. However, to keep things logical, in my fanfic, the Heal spell, or any healing spell for that matter, does not recover a person to full health. Healing them only closes their wounds, repairs their internal system and helps maintain their body, if severely damaged. They will still need to rest for a while to recover from their injuries (eg. blood loss...we can't have priests magically add blood into the person)_. S_o, even after being healed, they will still be weak and need to rest to recover their bodies. Just to let you know. That's why Selene was weak even after being healed. _


	5. Chapter 4: Coming to Terms

**Chapter 4: Coming to Terms**

Azaroth felt like it was only moments ago that the crusader named Melanie said the words 'charged for murder', but he was quite aware that he was sitting in the middle of a cell in the darkest part of the Pronteran dungeon, his time slowly slipping by.

The guards had stripped him of all his possessions, and now he was stuck in the middle of a dungeon cell with just his basic clothes. No contact with anyone else, he had just enough light to shine through the top of an open grill window to allow him to look at the dirty, dingy surroundings he was subjected to.

He had given up yelling and protesting about his innocence, since after an hour of yelling seemed to yield no results he may as well save his breath. He sat quietly in his cell, unsure whether he was nervous, scared or angry, or all of the above.

The only thing he was really sure of was that he did not kill anyone, least a Cardinal that went by the name of Crenarius Morison.

Azaroth knew that they were mistaken, and they had the wrong man, but now was not a good time to try and convince them of that. Killing a Cardinal was a serious offence, taking the life of one of the higher echelons of the church. Even Azaroth knew that was punishable by death and he did not need to be told about that.

Azaroth could not phantom the reason why they arrested him. There was no news on the death of a Cardinal, but maybe they kept it quiet for a reason. To lure him here? Melanie had mentioned that Selene was kept from the true reason of escorting Azaroth here. Maybe they tried to keep it quiet so that he would not suspect anything, and would fall into the trap they set.

Of course, this sounded like the Cardinals and the Pronteran Army wanted Azaroth dead. Technically possible but not really plausible.

Selene looked genuinely shocked to see such an action, but what if she was part of all this? Did she know all along? Hardly would be a suitable word. If she knew that Azaroth was a wanted criminal, she would not have risked her life to save him from the undead attack on the village. Azaroth figured they kept her in the dark, just asking her to bring him here.

But the thing that really puzzled Azaroth was the reason behind it all. What made them so sure Azaroth murdered some Cardinal? Certainly, he had no witness to claim that he was always entirely in the village where he lived, since he rarely communicated with the community there, but there was no solid proof he was in Prontera either. Not to mention that since they had their eyes on him, they knew where he lived, and precisely knew what it would take to lure him to the capital with information about the Kyrodin Guild, why bother with a priest escorting him here? Why not send a whole bunch of knights to arrest him in his village? To avoid commotion? There was a dead Cardinal already. It was bound to cause about as much commotion as a holiday.

Azaroth was suddenly reminded of Krayken's words, where he mentioned that there on-goings that involved the church. Was this it, his arrest? They were planning to arrest him and Krayken knew it all along, but was not too sure to confirm it. Azaroth figured this was probably what he was talking about, but it was too late to cry over spilt milk.

Azaroth tried to figure what they would do to him next. They would probably put him on a trial, where he would be charged with a crime he did not commit, and then placed under the 'chopping board' where he will have his head chopped off. And he had a funny feeling that this was about to come true.

At this point, Azaroth started to panic. He felt fear, since he felt like he predicted his death even before death predicted it for him.

---

Selene was lying down in one of the beds in the infirmary, resting to regain her health. The acolytes and priests that had attended to her had now left her alone for her to get some respite, so the place was rather empty, and she had a ward all to herself.

However, she could not sleep. Her head was swirling with all the confused and messed up thoughts about the morning's incident, where a whole platoon of knights had arrested Azaroth because he had murdered Cardinal Crenarius Morison.

But, Selene was not thinking too much about the death of Cardinal Crenarius. Sure, he was one of the Cardinals, but to Selene, he was just an old man who was a member of the Holy Order and she had her reasons to not fancy him too much, but she was more concerned that it was Azaroth who had been charged for his murder.

Indeed, the order she received two days ago to bring Azaroth to the capital was strange enough. She received word from a messenger and went to one of the chambers to meet with some of the higher-ups in the church.

" Selene Mayfly, I'm glad you could join us. We need to send you on an errand, and we would be most appreciative if you could perform it for us," one of the Cardinals said. Selene merely bowed in reply.

What followed next was one of the strangest requests they had ever asked of her. The high priests asked her to travel to the outskirts of the city to one of the small farming villages to escort a man named Azaroth Crimson to the city. No exact purpose was given to why they wanted him here, but the method in which they used that might lure him here.

" Why am I to escort this man back here?" Selene asked, not satisfied with their explanation.

" We require your cooperation and acceptance upon the matter. All will be revealed later, but we can only ask you to trust us in doing this task. It is hard of us to ask you to do this, but we urgently must," High Priest Jacton Smielia replied. Selene was unable to reply to the remark.

" And what if he decides to not come?" Selene asked.

" Then you are to quietly come back and report it to us. Do not try to attempt to escort him back if he refuses," one of the cardinals replied loftily.

" I know what to do. I was asking what kind of action you would take next if he does not come," Selene asked.

" One of force," High Priest Jacton Smielia replied firmly, in which the rest of them nodded in agreement. Selene merely bowed in reply and turned around to leave the room, although she had a bad feeling about the entire thing. And she was right all along.

The door of her room creaked and she turned her head to see who it was. Melanie, who was still in her armour, stepped in. She pulled a nearby wooden chair and placed it next to Selene's bed and sat down.

" Just to let you know, the team of acolytes which you mention did come back. Apparently Priest Zarius warped them back in time. It is a pity he did not make it out alive. We'll be dealing with whatever happened to the village shortly, and messages has been issued throughout over the entire area to keep an eye on suspicious activity."

" So, how are you feeling?" she asked.

" Terrible," Selene replied.

" I know how you feel, been in your situation several time over. Don't worry, at least the acolytes here are well trained, and you'll be up in your feet…"

" Lieutenant, that was not what I meant," Selene exclaimed.

" 'Sis', I've told you a hundred times too much, there is no need to call me by rank. Melanie is good enough. I've heard enough of my rank in the army and frankly I don't want to hear it here," Melanie declared. Selene kept silent.

" But, if you insist, it's Captain now…" Melanie replied, and they both giggled like little girls for a while.

" No, Melanie," Selene returned to the conversation, sounding serious now " It is all about the arrest. I feel that is something wrong. Azaroth does not seem like a murderer."

" I doubt that is for you to decided," Melanie answered, leaning back and folding her arms.

" But, Melanie, listen to me…"

" Selene, you escorted back a criminal, under very weird circumstances no doubt. You are worrying more about his execution than the death of Cardinal Crenarius Morison. Isn't that behaviour a bit strange?" Melanie asked.

" I could care less if that old geezer died…wouldn't be a problem of mine," Selene replied in a low, dark tone. Melanie then only remembered that Selene never really held most of the Cardinals in high regard, save for about a couple of them.

" What about Serene and Vermillion? Are you arresting them too?" Selene asked.

" You mean the elf and that noisy rough monk? No, we are setting them free for now. If anything comes up then we'll take them in. As far as the ones in charge are concerned, they are not involved in it and are merely acquaintances with him. We are setting them free after some questioning," Melanie answered. " Alright, why don't you tell me about him, and I'll tell you what happened here."

" Azaroth has no motive, nor any reason to kill a Cardinal. He lives by some farming village, Taykon I think, and he earns a living by hunting beasts and collecting materials from the forest to sell to passing merchants. Besides being skilled in swordplay, he is about as normal as the peasant selling house wares down at the market street. There is no violence in him…well, he is wild in a sense, but he is a man with moral justification. Hell, he even saved my life!" Selene replied. Melanie sat there passively and watched.

" As far as I am concerned, I doubt he is a murderer," Selene replied.

" That won't be strong enough to convince the Cardinals, or the Jury," Melanie replied, sighing.

" What?"

" Alright, here all that I know that happened. 5 days ago, someone slipped into the church, passing all the security, using the old channel to the monastery and went to that 'old geezer's' bedroom, opened it up with presumably a key since no signs of forced entry was found and murdered the Cardinal after he woke him up."

" I'm checked the room after they inspected it, and it is not a really pretty sight. Crenarius's body was ripped to shreds, and his parts were sprayed all over the room. They still left it in place just for inspection," Melanie answered.

" How does Azaroth come in the picture?" Selene asked, somehow not too bothered about the Cardinal's gruesome death. He was already dead, and there was no point worrying about it, but Azaroth will soon be dead if she could not convince anyone that he was innocent.

" Well, for one, his relations with the Kyrodin guild. Yes, I know, but you know the Cardinals, they press everything. Second, weapons. The thing we are able to confirm is that two types of blades were used: a Haedonggum and a Tsurugi. Not trying to point fingers here, but nobody else within the next hundred miles has those weapons, together," Melanie replied.

" That's not proof," Selene objected.

" No, but that builds on something," Melanie, replied.

" And the next thing is: Three Cardinals saw him. Unless we can say that the three of them are lying frauds, Azaroth does not have a case," Melanie replied, with a finality in her tone.

" What did you say?"

" I said three Cardinals saw him do it," Melanie repeated.

" And they did not do anything then?! When they saw him?!" Selene exclaimed.

" What were a bunch of weak, old men supposed to do with some murderer? Stop him with their walking staffs?" Melanie snorted.

" How…"

" Slowly, Sister, let me explain. The Cardinals keep Connector Crystals in their rooms, where they can project a mental image where another crystal is placed. Cardinal Martrian, Cardinal Selaindria and Cardinal Maginus all witness the attack as they were about to contact Cardinal Crenarius during the night. They never wanted to raise the alarm since they can't typically fight, and they needed to avoid a ruckus, since now one of them is dead. Since they had identified the perpetrator, all they need was to keep people quiet and the news silent until they had him," Melanie explained.

" Their actions are a bit out of place this time, but this is the first time a Cardinal has actually been murdered. If you want to argue that they were half-blind at night, be my guest. Besides, I doubt you will be strong enough to attend the trial anyway," Melanie replied.

" Melanie, doesn't this all strike you as strange?" Selene asked.

" No…maybe he brainwashed you in some way to make you think he's a good person," Melanie suggested.

" That was not what I meant. Don't you think there is something flawed here, something wrong with everyone's actions? Azaroth's guilt here is beside the point. The Cardinals you mentioned saw the intruder butcher Crenarius, but they did not lift a finger to do a thing or alert anyone for help. They happily let the person leave, 'confident they know who he was, where he lives and somehow guessing he will still be there', sent me on a mission to escort the person back, knowing fully about his 'so-called' murderous intent, assuming I will succeed alone. Not only that, they knew what would drag him here, and with much brains, the murderer returns back to the capital where everybody starts hunting for his head. The only reason why nobody thinks this is weird is because nobody knows everything I do," Selene berated Melanie, giving a long winding speech. She was almost out of breath when she finished.

Melanie merely glanced at Selene, then shrugged her shoulders. " Maybe I should leave you to get some rest," Melanie replied, getting up.

" But Melanie…"

" It is not like I distrust you or anything, it is just…" Melanie said, pausing with a confused look on her face " …Forget it, just get some rest." With that, she went out of the building and closed the door of the ward behind her, leaving Selene disappointed and anguished in her bed.

---

" To hell with the rest of you!" Vermillion screamed, kicking and punching wildly as a bunch of knights escorted her 'forcefully' out of the dungeon.

Since they were not suspects, after some questioning from some of the knights, Serene and Vermillion were set free. Serene answered to the best she could towards the knights questions, although constantly reminding them of her stand in Azaroth's guilt, which always fell on deaf ears. Vermillion, however, was not so passive.

Unless restrained, she would lash out at the nearest person within the vicinity, as long as it was not Serene. She had to be held down by people and chains, and when questioned, she could curse whoever who had asked her the question and try to spit in their face. The knights were much displeased, but they had no orders to arrest her, so they showed her the door. But she then decided to beat them up since she heard that Azaroth was not going to be freed.

Five guards chucked her out of the dungeon entrance, where a nervous and worried looking Serene was waiting, unsure of what ruckus Vermillion has wrecked again. Vermillion landed on her back, but she was up on her feet again and ran straight towards the dungeon, slamming into the large, fortified door as they closed it just in time.

" Damn it, open up!" Vermillion yelled, punching the door violently with her fists. When it did not move, she started to punch it even harder, and soon enough she started to form dents on the door, but the solid block of wood stood quite still against her attacks. Serene could only watch her vent her frustration upon an inanimate object, not wanting to stop her just in case one of those violent fists hit her.

" Hell..." Vermillion mused, stopping her attacks after about several minutes. Her hands had gone numb from the repeated attacks she pummelled upon the door. She took deep breaths now, trying to catch her breath.

" Vermillion..." Serene said timidly, hoping that Vermillion would not burst into another fit of anger.

" They can't do this...Azaroth is innocent. Why did they lock him up? This system of justice is just so unfair," Vermillion declared, backing up from the door and turning around to walk away.

" Vermillion, what are you going to do?" Serene asked.

" Murder, my foot. I'm more likely to kill one of the cardinals than he is, so why not me, eh? There is something wrong here, and I'd like to find out why," Vermillion snarled, oblivious to Serene's remarks.

" Vermillion!" Serene cried, grabbing on hard on the monk's shoulder, spinning her around and staring her in the face. She had enough of Vermillion's moping around and she would risk a punch in the face to just get through to her.

Vermillion started blankly back at her, as if she suddenly realised Serene was with her. Her expression calmed down a bit, before she said " Sorry, got carried away."

" What is going on here? Why have they captured Azaroth? I'm not too sure I understand what is going on here, so I need you to explain before I get any more confused," Serene replied with force, narrowing her eyebrows.

It did not hit Vermillion that Serene was not familiar with the governing system that ran their country. Serene may be a 'domesticated' elf, but she was an elf nonetheless, and there were sure to be some things that she was unfamiliar with among the human customs. There was some explaining needed to be done before she could take further action.

" I'll explain as we walk," Vermillion replied, taking Serene's hands off her shoulders before turning around. Serene followed closely behind as Vermillion started to break into quick strides.

" Azaroth has been convicted of a crime: the murder of a Cardinal..." Vermillion started.

" Who, or what is a Cardinal?"

" Ah, well, the Cardinals are a bunch of men who are the head of the Church and the Holy Order, which I am in, along with all the acolytes, priests and priestess, crusaders and followers of the church. They are the ones who govern the religion, and dictate the laws of the church."

" Govern the religion? Isn't the governing of religion supposed to be left for God himself, or whatever God you pray to?" Serene questioned.

Vermillion wanted to speak, but held her tongue for a while. What Serene said made sense. Since the foundation of the Holy Order, the Cardinals always ruled over the laws of the religion, and there was no objection to their say. Nobody had much right to say about the higher echelons of the church, much like the Elders who govern the magic community of Geffen. The common people might join the church for the common good, but Vermillion always had other ideas of the Cardinals, although it was in her nature to not be bothered about such matters.

" Well, that's the way the things are run here. Anyway, Azy has been charged with the murder of one of those lousy bastards. And frankly, under the eyes of everyone, that is equivalent to a death sentence," Vermillion answered. Serene gasped.

" Why? He didn't do it..."

" Of course he did not do it! Hell, can't you see he has been set up! I don't know who but I'm damn sure it was not him. We are being set up here, and I don't like this one bit," Vermillion snarled.

" What are we going to do now?" Serene asked.

" We need reinforcements, and as far as I know, there is only one person with the brains to help us figure this out," Vermillion replied, clasping her hands and chanting softly, before drawing seals in mid-air. Serene had seen enough to know that Vermillion was opening a warp portal.

" Where are we going?" Serene asked, as Vermillion opened a warp portal successfully.

" Geffen. We are going to pay an old friend of Azaroth a visit," Vermillion curtly replied.


	6. Chapter 5: Questionable Loyalty

**Chapter 5: Questionable Loyalty**

A young, handsome wizard sat on his lazy chair, discarding a scroll and taking another when he was done with it. He took another sip of Geffen coffee, and winced slightly at the taste. It was one of the worst tasting coffees in the entire world, but it was one of the best if one needed it to keep awake. The coffee was potent enough to keep him awake for three days, and he had only finished half of it.

His study on the scroll was disrupted when he felt two hands starting to wrap themselves around him, one trying to mess up his dark, spiky hair, while the other went around his neck. He would normally start grumbling whenever anyone, even his close friends, disturbed his studies. It was a taboo for him, but there were special circumstances for times like these.

" Hey, what is this, Tryzen?" a feminine voice whispered seductively to him.

" Some scrolls I nicked off the Elder's library, Sapphire. Would you like to take a look?" Tryzen replied in a lazy manner, his usual form of speech when he was relaxing himself, which as when he was studying.

" More again?" Sapphire asked, raising her eyebrows.

" Since they are unwilling to share with the rest of us young people, it was only a logical approach for me to take it for myself. Depriving people who are in the search for greater arcane power will only be the downfall of the magic community of Geffen, and stifling the minds of the future will cost us dearly. This is why I took precautionary steps to ensure that won't happen," Tryzen answered, waving the scroll in front of Sapphire's face.

" You sound like one of those corny scholars from Geffen. It is hard to believe you actually come from a small farming village," Sapphire chuckled.

" I've heard that comment one too many times," Tryzen replied, frowning at the remark.

Before Sapphire could make another remark, Tryzen suddenly jumped to his feet as though someone had just jolted him with a lightning bolt, knocking her back. Mumbling an apology, he started casting his spells. Muttering a few choice words and waving his hands, he used the winds to push all the furniture and his equipment aside, making room for the middle of the room. Sapphire wanted to ask what was he doing when her answer came up shortly.

A tall pillar of bright light appeared in the middle of the room, and if Tryzen had not moved his furniture aside, the warp portal would have crashed into all his equipment. It took two seconds for two people to come out, and it took only half that amount for Tryzen to start yelling.

" V, you bitch! I swear if you warp into my place once more, I will kill you!" Tryzen bellowed.

" Chill, it's not like I broke anything," Vermillion replied, stepping into Tryzen's familiar apartment.

Tryzen strode up to Vermillion within one large step, snarling in her face. " Don't make fun of the situation. If I had not moved the furniture aside in time, you would have crashed into all of them. I'll have more of a chance of being struck by lightning than you becoming an acolyte, so I'm still surprised every time I see you here in that dress..." he snarled.

" Yo, Sapphire, how are you?" Vermillion asked Sapphire, totally ignoring Tryzen. Sapphire waved back. She had met Tryzen's violent and eccentric friend Vermillion on several occasions, but this was the first she had saw her crash into his room in such a fashion. And from Tryzen's remarks, this was certainly not the first nor would it be the last.

" Who is this?" Tryzen asked, seeing that Vermillion had not traveled alone.

" Ah, well. Serene, this is Tryzen Manaloth, 1st Class Wizard of Geffen Archcircle. He's got the best brains in town, and I can swear on that. Tryzen, meet Serene. She is...well, female and an elf," Vermillion introduced the both of them.

" I can obviously see that, moron," Tryzen replied, still rather vexed. " Serene, huh? Are you the elf that tried to kill Azaroth once?"

Serene blushed at Tryzen's comment. " Um...well, yes...in a way...How did you know?" Serene stammered.

" He sent me a letter years ago. He mentioned you and whatever that happened," Tryzen replied, waving his hands. Two chairs that he had pushed aside earlier now drew forward for Vermillion and Serene to sit on.

" And talking about Azaroth, he's the reason we are here," Vermillion replied, her tone sounding serious all of a sudden.

" Oh...what happened?" Tryzen asked.

-

The last ten minutes was spent by Vermillion explaining everything that had happened to Azaroth: his imprisonment, charges against him, and the trip to the outer villages where it was attacked by zombies. Serene filled in the rest where Selene came to pick them up. Tryzen and Sapphire said nothing throughout the whole while as Vermillion started talking all the way, pacing up and down the room and using hand signs all over the place.

When she was finished, the message sunk into Tryzen's head. He leaned back into his chair and thought for a while, frowning deeply. Nobody said a word as Tryzen was lost in his thoughts. It was after a minute or so, Tryzen got up and started to speak.

" So, what did you guys come here for?" Tryzen asked.

Vermillion almost screamed. " What?! What else did we come here for?! Your help!" Vermillion replied loudly.

" I know that, that was obvious. I was asking what did you specifically come here for? If you are here to ask me to go to Azaroth's trial, then there is no point in going, since with the charges he is press with he is as good as a dead duck," Tryzen replied. Vermillion was about to burst, but she held her tongue.

" Now, we must consider what we CAN do with him," Tryzen replied. " But, first of all, we must figure out why this happened. Logical steps have lead me to conclude a few theories on why he is being charged with such an offense."

" First, he killed the Cardinal himself. Highly illogical, since he will have no motive and he does not have the capabilities to do so...or I might be mistaken. It might be possible he has taken this action by himself, but I deem it highly unlikely. So, we can place him out of the picture for the moment, and try to figure out what happened here."

" Second, they mistook him for someone else. Maybe whoever who witnessed the murder saw the person in a different light and mistook him for Azaroth. Strange thing is that they immediately knew it was him, and sent a priest to get him back. Sounds too fishy for me. Whoever that was seem to have excellent memory, or either this is a set up, which I will elaborate later."

" Thirdly, they actually saw him, but it was actually his evil twin brother who was separated at birth and not heard off until now, and he wants revenge for some hilarious reason which we are about to figure out."

" Um, Tryzen..." Serene said.

" Relax, he does that once in a while. Studying too much magic has addled his brain somewhat," Vermillion answered.

" That is so not true. From what I read in his letters, apparently he has this habit even when he was back in the old village where he and Azaroth lived," Sapphire cut in.

" They lived in the same village? How come I never seen him before?" Serene asked.

" Yeah, they were childhood friends, but Tryzen left when he was about 10 to come to Geffen to study magic. Technically, they have not seen each other for ten years now, but they keep in touch with letters. I haven't met this Azaroth personally, but I hear a lot about him from Tryzen. Pretty remarkable, being able to talk about a friend he has not met in 10 years. Azaroth must have been a person of great character to be able to keep this friendship going even since they were kids," Sapphire answered. Serene merely nodded, quite awed at the fact.

" Lastly," Tryzen continued, quite aware they were talking but not too bothered about it " He has been framed."

Everyone waited for a while before Vermillion said " That explanation was kind of short."

" Well, this is by far the most logical explanation I can give under the circumstances. I don't know why, I don't know who, but we can speculate. There may be a few suspects, but I have only one main subject I feel is the most likely culprit: the Church!"

" What?!" the three of them yelled, jumping to their feet.

" Look, let me explain myself here: Someone killed a Cardinal, and suddenly Azaroth is the suspect, with proof coming from witnesses. And if the witnesses are suppose to be of any weight to place Azaroth in such a predicament are the higher echelon of the church: the High Priests, Cardinals and so forth. Now, why Azaroth? Their process was just too fast. They knew exactly that it was Azaroth, and they send a priestess to fetch him, knowing very well he would go and knowing very well what would attract him there. Doesn't this look suspicious? I've heard of all the rumours of the rumours of what the people in the church do, but this beats them all," Tryzen replied.

" So, you think the Cardinals and the High Priests all framed him?" Serene asked.

" Certainly, and they have too much power for us to question the attempt," Tryzen answered.

" But why...?"

" Azaroth has no enemies...well, not that I know of. Besides, to pull of such a stunt to even make a fool of all the people in the Holy Order would require just about as much leverage and influence as the Holy Order itself, and the only group with that much power and influence would be either the army or the Royal Family itself," Tryzen replied.

" So why not them?" Serene asked.

" Well, there might be some chance that this thing has been orchestrated by them, but this trial is highly based on the Holy Order. They are mainly running it, and thus, I believe neither the Royal Family nor the army has a hand in this, although it might be probable," Tryzen explained.

" So, you think that the whole Holy Order is framing Azaroth?!" Vermillion declared.

" Not all, just some with the means..." Tryzen answered.

" Great, how are we going to prove Azaroth's innocence then?" Vermillion declared, exasperated.

" We don't," Tryzen replied.

" What?!"

" What do you mean?!" Vermillion yelled, even louder.

" Azaroth is charged for this crime, and I have already said, he is as good as dead. The trial starts tomorrow, as what I've learned from you, and there is no doubt that they will charge him for that. He will be executed within two days! We don't have the luxury to figure out who did this or why. The main priority now is to free him!" Tryzen declared, standing straight and raising his hands so fast, Sapphire backed off at the speed in which he raised it.

" And what are we going to do? Break him free?' Vermillion scoffed.

" You read my mind, V," Tryzen replied, winking.

Vermillion was not too sure whether she had heard him say those words properly. " Wait, did I hear what I think I just heard?" she asked.

" Exactly, V. We are going to head to Prontera and break my simple friend Azaroth free from his chains that holds him in the dungeon," Tryzen declared in such a way to show everyone he was serious.

Sapphire stepped forward and touched his forehead, asking " Are you feeling well, dear?"

Tryzen brushed her hand away and laughed out loud. " Sapphire, I'm quite alright, but I am serious about what I said. There is no way Azaroth can escape from that execution, and to avoid that, we need to save him," he answered.

" Tryzen, you are going to go risk your neck on this crazy task?" Sapphire asked, obviously worried.

" Don't worry, I'm not asking you to come," Tryzen replied.

" Very funny, Tryzen," Sapphire snorted " It's not me whom we are talking about."

" Sapphire, I know this sounds crazy, but Azaroth is my best friend. Sure, I've never seen him in a over a decade now, and frankly I might not even recognise his face when I see him, but he taught me one thing about friendship: loyalty. Azaroth never compromises his friendship, and he speaks true to everyone in that matter. He would stand up against the Gods for my sake, and in return, I must do the same. My honour demands it," Tryzen answered.

" Awesome! We leave tomorrow, unless we can find any sort of transport to get us to Prontera. I'm out of power here!" Vermillion replied.

" Excellent. V, you should know the place around by now, so you go get some essential stuff from the market square. I'll get my stuff ready. As for you two…" Tryzen said, looking at both Sapphire and Serene " Well, you two can just sit here and have a nice, girly talk." Sapphire replied by throwing a nearby book at him. Which he deftly caught before leaving the room, with Vermillion following him.

" As rash as usual…" Sapphire sighed. Seeing Serene sitting quietly by the corner, she suddenly said " I'm sorry…would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee? I wouldn't suggest coffee the coffee though, the mages and wizards here just drink it to stay awake."

" Tea would be good," Serene replied. Sapphire headed toward the small kitchenette in Tryzen's apartment and started to boil some water. Serene waited patiently for Sapphire to prepare her drink.

" So, if you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" Sapphire asked.

" Oh, the forest of Payon," Serene replied. Sapphire raised her eyebrows.

" We elves live in the forests of Payon, where it is close to nature. Our city is rather secluded, we build our homes among the trees, and usually humans never pay much attention to it," Serene replied " Um, no offense to your intelligence…"

" So why are you here?" Sapphire asked, pouring out the heated water, which she had quickened the process of boiling water by shooting flames from the tips of her fingers.

" What kind of question was that?" Serene asked.

" Elves usually stay in their forest homes. Very few stray outside to our lands. What made you come here?" Sapphire asked, placing a few tea leaves in the cup and taking it to Serene, which she accepted gracefully.

" Oh, well, many reasons I guess. But I would like to narrow it down to two: my homeland was too green and I'm being rebellious for rebellious sake," Serene answered.

Sapphire giggled. " I see. And why did you try to kill Azaroth once?"

" Oh, that bastard. He stole my prey!" Serene exclaimed.

" Was that sufficient reason to kill him?"

" No, but he does not need to know that," Serene replied sipping on her tea. They both fell quiet as Serene slowly drank her tea.

" Um, if you don't mind me asking, are you in a relationship with Tryzen?" Serene asked.

" Yes, I'm his fiancée. We are to get married in three months time," Sapphire answered.

" What?!" Serene exclaimed loudly, jumping to her feet, effectively dropping the cup in her hand, sending it clattering down upon the stone floor.

" He's about to get married, and now he decides to take off like this?!" Serene declared.

" I see nothing wrong with that," Sapphire replied, quite taken aback at Serene's remark.

" Nothing wrong?! Do you know what Tryzen is going up to now? He is going to defy the law, the Holy Order, the church, and frankly, the army. He will be an accomplice of Azaroth. If he goes, and attempts this crazy task, he will be a marked man, and he will be so for probably the rest of his life! And he can just forget about you in this kind of fashion?" Serene asked, feeling perplexed.

Sapphire said nothing.

" Aren't you going to stop him? Aren't you going to attempt to stop him?" Serene asked.

" Serene, I assume you are not married," Sapphire started.

" My marriage status has nothing to do with…"

" On the contrary, Serene, it has everything to do with it, on how I feel and how I act, and what actions I take," Sapphire cut in quietly. " You might be surprised at why he is doing this, and why I am not stopping him. Vermillion is much of an outcast in Prontera, as what I've heard, and she would gladly stay in Morroc if given the circumstances. You might hide in your elven homeland where ours laws don't collide. Yet, you might ask why would Tryzen risk this. He is a mere student in the Magic Academy, and such an attempt would just ruin his future."

" Do you know what love is?" Sapphire asked.

" Why do I feel I should not answer this question?" Serene asked.

" I'm not what love is either, Serene, even though I may be in love with Tryzen. But, I do know what marriage is, and even though we are not officially married, I feel that Tryzen and I are 'spiritually' married. I am committed to him as he is committed to me," Sapphire replied.

" I still don't get your point," Serene answered.

" What would you do, Serene, if you were recently married, but yet the one you love has to leave on a quest which will not bring him back for many years, or it might not allow him to come back? Would you go against it, or will you allow him to leave?" Sapphire asked. Serene had no answer to such a philosophical question, so she merely frowned.

" Maybe you can't answer that, but I can. I would, because it is my duty to do so, as similar to his honour to save his friend. I could care less about who this Azaroth person is, but he is significant to Tryzen, and for that, as his wife, I understand his needs. It is not in my place to make him say no…that will be up to him," Sapphire replied.

" My, one of my other reasons why I left. There was no way I could stick like that as a wife back home," Serene replied.

Sapphire stood up. " Come, let me show you something that would answer your queries," Sapphire motioned. Serene slowly got up and followed the wizard to the back of the apartment, where Tryzen's study stood. Sapphire opened the door of her study and walked in, closely followed by Serene.

" Here," she said, pointing to the wall.

Serene was not sure what she was really looking at, but after a while, she recognized it for what it was. The brown, ugly piece of cloth that was hanging on the wall was actually the fur of a wolf, but time had degraded it to such a state that is was barely recognizable from its former state. There was a weird musty smell being emitted from it.

" This is a coat Azaroth gave Tryzen the day he left. It is not much, and it is so old and dirty and degenerated, but Tryzen treasures this. I've never seen the two meet before, but I must say I admire this man Azaroth, who is not a female yet can exert more leverage on Tryzen than I can," Sapphire replied.

There was the sound of running footsteps, and there was a shrill voice in the air coming from the front door. " That must be Vermillion. Let's step outside, shall we?" Sapphire suggested. Serene nodded her head and followed her out.

---

Tryzen slung his pack over his shoulders as he picked up his staff. He was dressed in a dark maroon dress and a long, beige cloak. Swiftly tying his leather shoes together he got up and exclaimed " Where in the world is Vermillion now?"

"She just got up," Serene answered, stepping out of the spare bedroom Tryzen had allowed the two visitors to sleep in. Vermillion stepped out, yawning loudly and rudely as usual, although everyone seemed used to her behavior.

" You don't look ready," Tryzen noted. And indeed, she was not. She was mainly dressed in her undergarments, and had just a very short cloak which doubled as a blanket last night. Her hair was in a mess, and she did not look fit enough to cast a spell, yet alone open a warp portal.

" I'll be as ready as I'll ever be," Vermillion answered, giving another yawn.

" Like hell I'm going to walk around Prontera with you dressed like that…well, not that many people aren't used to it now," Tryzen scowled, blushing slightly.

" You don't like it?" Sapphire asked coyly, sitting by the side of the room, previously immersed in a book.

" Well, you should see her when she is drunk," Tryzen scowled.

" It's not like you have any choice in that matter," Vermillion answered. She started making preparations to open the warp portal. Tryzen shrugged and muttered something under his breath that sounded like 'why do I even associate myself with you?'.

As the warp portal opened, Sapphire got up and walked to Tryzen, kissing him deeply. Serene patiently waited, trying not to look while it was Vermillion's turn to scowl for allowing Tryzen to waste her time like this. " Give them some time. They need to say goodbye," Serene replied, nudging Vermillion playfully in the ribs.

" Hark, I'm not watching," Vermillion said, stepping towards the portal. " Don't take too long now," she said, before stepping inside, vanishing in a flash.

" Tryzen…" Sapphire said, as they broke the kiss.

" I'll be back."

" And…"

" In one piece."

" Be sure…"

" I'll be there on our wedding day," Tryzen answered. " Thanks for understanding me, dear. You don't know what this means to me." Kissing her one more time on the forehead, he turned around and stepped into the portal, possibly avoiding to watch the tears in Sapphire's eyes, which started to materialize.

" Take care of him for me, will you?" Sapphire sobbed, looking at Serene before she entered the portal. Serene smiled back, mouthing the words 'I swear', before disappearing into the white pillar, which burst into specks of light when she passed though it, leaving no remains that the three of them were there that morning.

_Writer's note: I know that in the game, you would need to use an item (forgot it's name...some crystal ball or something) to allow the user to open the warp gate. For convenience sake for my story, these users don't need it, but can just open one by their own, however there are limits on how many times it can be executed. I might add later on items that allow you to use a warp portal by using them. Also, they will have a limit on the places where they can warp to. They can only warp to place they visited, and also warp to a limited number of places, depending on what they chose. _

_As I have no idea in the knowledge of the great lore that is love, I'm not too sure whether the chemistry between Tryzen and Sapphire went well (yes, still single, I am.). I sincerely hope I can improve in this department. Updating today since I'll be very busy tomorrow Saturday._


	7. Chapter 6: Guilt

**Chapter 6: Guilt**

As Serene stepped out of the portal, her eyes started to adjust from the bright light that blinded her when she stepped into the portal. They were back where they started, in the middle of a market in Prontera city. The whole place as bustling with energy and work, as morning was always the busiest time here. Blacksmiths lines their wares of weapons and equipment all along the street, while merchants were seen peddling their wares in their set-up stalls, haggling with customers to gain a profit.

" Busy as always," Tryzen muttered, ignoring the looks several people gave to the three of them as they suddenly appeared in the middle of the street in a busy marketplace.

" Well, how should we start?" Vermillion asked, yawning.

" We head to the district's guard house. We can get information on Azaroth's status there," Tryzen answered firmly. The guard houses are small buildings situated around the city. Run by the army, knights were usually stationed there to keep law and order in the city, much like an enforcement group.

Leading the way as if he knew the path by heart, Tryzen whizzed his way around all the moving people, avoiding peasants and housewives trying to navigate their way towards all the stores. Serene stole quick looks at all the stalls around the place, watching in awe at all the wares they were selling.

There were quite a lot of stalls selling animals' hides and armour equipments. Prospecting merchants were all around, easily noticeable with their critical looks whenever the looked at other people's goods, trying to make the best bargain to make into a profit later. A young girl walked up to her and asked if she wanted to buy any potions, in which she held up a bottle that contained essence of red herbs at Serene's face, which she had to politely decline.

" This my first time taking a good look at the city," Serene replied.

" Correction: Your second time. Your first time was ten minutes in a dungeon cell and another hour in an interrogating room," Vermillion snorted.

" Never been to the big city?" Tryzen asked.

" Nope. The closest I've ever come here was Azaroth's village, which is at the outskirts of the city," Serene replied.

" Great, neither have I," Tryzen answered.

They made their way along towards one of the guard houses, and they were quite surprised that it was crowded with people ranging from peasants to aristocrats. Everybody was bustling about, shouting questions and queries towards a very tired looking knight, who looked like the captain of the guard house and was standing at the front porch.

" Is it true? Tell us, is Cardinal Crenarius really dead?" one of the merchants asked.

The knight slapped a hand upon his face. " I think I had already replied to this question about fifty times already…" he moaned.

" You did not answer the question…"

" And why should I answer when you know damn well what the answer is!" the knight burst out violently, making the people in the front back away slightly.

" What are the details? How did it happen?" a blacksmith asked, with several people nodding in unison around him, wanting to know more.

" And what is so interesting about a dead old man?" the knight scowled.

" I heard you caught the perpetrator. Is he going to be hanged or beheaded?"

" I would not know. The trial is coming up this after noon. It will be decided then," the knight replied.

" Is it true that he committed the crime? This Azaroth Crimson?" an alchemist asked.

" Well, we have…wait a second!" the knight suddenly exclaimed, rounding upon the alchemist. " How the hell did you know his name?"

" Well, heard it from a monk," the alchemist replied. " From your reaction, I assume I'm right." The crowd started to murmur loudly, talking to each other in loud, hushed tones. Tryzen glared at Vermillion with an accusing look, but Vermillion shook her head vehemently.

" Well, we have strong evidence for that…" the knight sighed, knowing that it would be one stressful day. The surrounding people started to murmur around, talking about this 'Azaroth Crimson' guy, and by the end of the day, there was bound to be about twenty rumours about him circulating around the city.

" Looks like someone leaked information," Tryzen mused quietly.

" Is that a bad thing?" Serene asked, being able to hear him quite well despite the noise.

" Forgot you have heightened senses," Tryzen said, motioning to them that it was time to leave. " Well, maybe, I have a theory about it being 'intentionally' leaked by the Holy Order and it might match my theory on their motives and what I explained and thought about them yesterday."

" How so?" Vermillion asked.

" Not here…especially when you talk so loud," Tryzen replied, walking away. The three of them headed out towards the west side of the city, near the residential area occupied by the poorer people of Prontera, where there was less people milling about. Serene noticed Tryzen was still deep in thought. Was whatever the crowd and the knight said have so much meaning?

" We still have a few hours before the trial starts. He is what we will do: Vermillion, I need you to go back to the monastery, or where all the people of the Holy Order reside. Go to all the common rooms or canteens. With the death of a Cardinal there is bound to be some talking. Just go there and listen to whatever the people are saying. I forbid you to talk, or pick a fight, because you will just cause more trouble than we can handle. Just use only your ears for once," Tryzen said. Vermillion gave a huff and frowned on him, but she did not contradict him for that.

" Serene, I need you to ask around for information on where the trial will be held, and for specifics, like time and people involved. If what the knight said was correct, we have a minimum of four hours before the trial. Be back here by three hours, and we have any more spare time, we will discuss about it later," Tryzen finished explaining.

" And what are you going to do?" Vermillion asked roughly.

Tryzen just pointed his thumb towards his back. Both Serene and Vermillion saw that he was pointing towards a very noisy but rather derelict looking tavern.

---

Selene got up from her sleep. The lingering curse of the Wraith had not yet fully subsided, as she could still feel the throbbing pain in her body. But all was quite well now, and she was making a speedy recovery from her injuries. Acolyte Soreen Evanyse was much better than Selene had expected her to be from what she saw of her in classes.

She had given a lot of thought about the charges Azaroth was given, and she thought of how unfair it was. Was she the only one convinced that he was innocent, besides those that were close to him?

Selene was unable to convince anyone about Azaroth's guilt, and she had given up on it before anyone felt that she had gone mad. If she did not do anything soon, then there will not be much to prevent Azaroth's neck from facing either the noose or the axe very soon.

But what if she was wrong about all this? Maybe Azaroth was just acting that way. Maybe he did not expect them to even know that the Holy Order suspected him of the murder of the Cardinal. Could it be that there was something that she did not find out about Azaroth during their brief travel period? Was she accusing the Higher Echelons of being wrong, being incorrect about all this? Or even, they orchestrated this arrest?

The sound of the door opening broke her thoughts. A young, female acolyte stood by the door, with a look of surprise in her face. Very timidly, she said " My apologies, Priestess Selene. Did I wake you from your sleep?"

Selene observed the state she was in. Her eyes were dropping slightly, and she was half propped up on her bed. She looked like she had been awakened by the acolyte, although if the acolyte entered a few seconds earlier that might be true.

" No, Alreen, I had woken up a long time ago," Selene lied, trying to avoid embarrassment to the acolyte.

Alreen bowed, then walking into the room, said " My sister asked me to check on you condition. Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

" No, tell Soreen I'm fine. I just need to walk around a little," Selene replied as Alreen did the usual check-up on Selene.

" Very well," Alreen said, bowing again. She then swiftly left the room, her footsteps muted as soon as she exited the door.

Selene gave a loud sigh as soon as she felt that Alreen was way out of earshot to hear her sigh. All this was just too much for her to handle, although a thought did occur to her. Suddenly inspired, she got up and headed towards the nearby desk, fully intent of writing a letter.

She drew open a few drawers, cursing the fact that she could find no usable pieces of parchment. She found one eventually under the desk covered in a fine layer of dust, which she quickly brushed off. She dipped a feather into an ink bottle and held the tip of the feather just above the parchment, about to write when something else caught her attention.

There seemed to be a lot of commotion outside. Leaning out from her chair she was on, she took a look at what was going on outside. There were a lot of people crowding around a whole bunch of knights who were making their way along the streets, heading south of where the infirmary was located. Selene wondered what could cause so much commotion when she suddenly realised the knights were probably off to escort Azaroth to his trial.

She had almost forgotten about it totally. If it was anything, she had to attend this trial.

Forcing herself up, she grabbed a nearby crutch to serve as a walking stick as she had not fully recovered. She hobbled out of the room, surprising Soreen as she came out of the infirmary all of a sudden, causing the acolyte to stare at her superior in total surprise.

---

Azaroth could hear the commotion even from the outside. He felt his gut sink as soon as he knew that they would be here to escort him to a trial he should not be attending. He tried to stay calm, but he found that he was unable to breathe normally. Worse, he started to break into a cold sweat.

" Oooh, you should have thought twice about committing your crime, lad," a sinister voice replied.

Azaroth looked across his cell to see a dirty, scrawny looking prisoner who was missing half his teeth, and apparently one of his eyes. He grinned in a silly manner towards Azaroth, which indicated that he was crazy or he seemed to take pleasure in Azaroth's predicament.

" I have not done anything wrong," Azaroth replied, although he kind of figured that it was rather useless.

" Ah, that's what they always say, laddie, but everyone says that when they reach the executioners blade...you look kinda innocent though," the prisoner replied, cocking his head sideways. Azaroth was not sure whether that comment was really helpful or not.

" Well, two things happen if you get locked in here. Either you die by a blade to your neck, or a rope. I'm not sure if you can chose which one you would like," the prisoner said.

Azaroth hated what he said, and tried to look away, but something else hit him in the gut. If what this prisoner said was true, then it sounded like they had already fixed his death sentence even before the trial.

There was a loud clang of an iron door opening somewhere, and footsteps were heard approaching his cell. Azaroth saw several knights standing outside his cell. One of them opened the door of his cell, swinging it open and glaring at him.

" Come," he ordered.

Feeling like he was sending himself to his own execution, he got up.

---

Tryzen took another swing of his ale. So far, his attempt at gathering information at the bar seemed to bear no fruit. All the information he could milk out of the people here were all that he already knew, just different variations. He did not except much, but he disliked it anyway.

Just as he drank his drink down to the last dregs, the door of the bar opened and Vermillion entered. Spotting Tryzen immediately, she strode up to him and dropped herself in the chair right next to him, ordering a drink.

" Any luck?" Tryzen whispered.

" No, nothing we already don't know. I just listened to all the conversations they had. Nothing much to obtain. From the looks on your face, I figure you had no luck here as well," Vermillion replied. Tryzen merely nodded to acknowledge her. He also noticed that she had changed her dress, wearing leather garbs now, which she probably switched when she was back at the monastery.

However, as soon as Vermillion's drink came, Serene suddenly burst into the tavern, startling everyone, including Tryzen and Vermillion. " Come now!" was all she said before leaving in a hurry.

Tryzen and Vermillion was not sure what that was all about, but the quickly took after her nonetheless, with Vermillion staying behind for a second to down her drink in one gulp and throwing a few zennys to pay for her drink. Both of them ran up to Serene and caught up with her.

" What's up now?" Tryzen asked.

" The trial is scheduled now!" Serene exclaimed.

" Lead on," Tryzen said, understanding the meaning. The three of them tore down the cobbled streets with Serene leading the way. Curious passerbys merely glanced at them as they passed at such speeds. After turning several corners, they reached an end where there was a swarm of people.

" What is this?" Tryzen asked, puzzled as why Serene would lead them here.

" The courthouse is just up ahead. The people here are probably here to hear about the trial. Oh gosh, how are we going to get in?" Serene suddenly stammered.

" Well, I know a way in," Vermillion replied. " Follow me."

Vermillion lead them so some place of quite a distance away from the courthouse, but Tryzen was not questioning Vermillion's methods, so Serene kept to herself. Serene spotted the monastery not too far away, and suddenly realised that they were heading in that direction.

" Vermillion, why are we heading to the monastery?" Serene asked.

" Hitching a ride," Vermillion replied, smiling.

The monastery was a plain looking building, made from white stone and fashioned in a simple manner. The entrance consisted of a very long corridor, where there were rooms all over the place. Tryzen and Serene did not have a good look around, as Vermillion had already tore to the left, entering some small niche in the wall. She nudged a small wooden door aside and made her way into the room. Inside, she lifted a trapdoor, and Serene could hear a collective gasp coming from through trapdoor.

Serene looked inside to see who was inside. There was a small collection of people, some swordsman, two archers, a merchant and a thief, but mostly acolytes. A priestess and a monk stood by the corner.

" Relax, it is just me," Vermillion replied, jumping down the trapdoor. The people in the compartments made way for Vermillion as she made her way inside.

" You are not alone," a male acolyte replied, pointing towards Tryzen and Serene, who descended the trapdoor.

" Relax, they are with me, and they will keep this a secret," Vermillion replied, placing a finger on her lips and winking at him.

" But..."

" We are just hitching a ride, Maycron, but if you don't want to, I'll tell," Vermillion replied, in what sounded like a threat.

Maycron looked at her helplessly, then raised his hands in defeat. " Suit yourself, but you better make sure they don't say a thing about this," Maycron said. He and a few other acolytes, along with the monk and the priestess, started forming seals to open warp portals. Soon, the whole room was swarming with warp portals, and Vermillion lead Tryzen and Serene into one of them.

When they exited the warp portal, they found themselves in a very dark room with light shining through a few cracks. They heard a few people moving, and shadows could be seen kneeling down towards the cracks on the floor, while the priestess and the monk exited through what looked like a window which had no view of the outside.

" Where are we?" Serene asked.

" One of the top areas of the courthouse. Some of us sneak here to observe things we are not suppose to observe. We sometimes gather at the room back there and warp ourselves here," Vermillion replied. There was a note of pride in her voice.

" Yes, one of a very good trait you picked up while you were here," Tryzen sighed.

" I would like to tell you that is was my mentor that actually suggested taking such an action," Vermillion huffed. Serene could not see it really well in the dark, but she was quite sure Tryzen rolled his eyes at the remark.

Vermillion lead them towards the window where the monk and priestess exited. " This leads down towards the courthouse. Walk along here, you will reach a staircase. It will lead you to the bottom," Vermillion replied.

" Bottom?"

" Yeah. You can observe the on-goings better if you are down there. Don't worry, it is a straight forward route. You can't get lost. Just try to mingle with the crowd and not act too conspicuously, and nobody will figure that you are not suppose to be there," Vermillion said.

" You are not coming?" Tryzen asked, raising his eyebrows.

" Nah, I'm too notorious. I'll be instantly recognised when I go down. I'll stay here and watch from the cracks that are provided," Vermillion replied. Tryzen shrugged and crawled out of the window. Serene looked at Vermillion, raising her eyebrows as well, but Vermillion waved her away as well. Serene followed suite, meeting Tryzen in the dark, dusty corridor outside.

Moving along, they reached a steep staircase, where they treaded carefully. Noises could be heard nearby, followed by light coming from a corner. Following the light, the reached a group of people with their back turned against them. They had reached the courtroom, and Azaroth could be clearly seen in the middle of the entire place.


	8. Chapter 7: Witnesses to the Crime

**Chapter 7: Witnesses to the Crime**

The courthouse was a large building, housing almost several hundred people inside. It had a simple, plain looking ceiling, lined with wooden planks, and the entire place was made of simple stone. In fact, the only thing that looked decently furnished and made was the criminal stand, where Azaroth stood, handcuffed to the metal railing that was by his side.

Tryzen had a good look of his friend which he had not seen in years. He was almost recognisable with that handsome, childish face he had retained over the years, and his dark brown messy hair. His physique showed that he was quite proficient with swordplay, to be more exact, using dual swords. The only change was his expression: now dulled, nervous and scared instead of the old, cheery one.

Azaroth looked miserable standing there, and Tryzen felt an instant pang of pity for his friend. He took a sweeping glance around the courtroom, observing all the people who had attended the trial. Most of them were people from the church: priests, priestesses, monks and high priest. The others look like they were from the army, except for a few notable exceptions like the dark looking alchemist at the far end on Tryzen's right and someone who looked like a rogue standing a few meters right in front of him.

" Do you think they'll notice that we are not supposed to be here?" Serene whispered.

" Not unless you keep talking like that," Tryzen whispered back.

-

" Excuse me," Selene said, hobbling along the courtroom. People mainly moved out of the way to allow her space to move since she was walking along on crutches. She was quite out of breath, having made her way here so quickly. She made her way along to the front rows of the courtroom, where Azaroth was chained to the criminal stand.

" Selene, I thought you were supposed to be in the infirmary," a knight next to her said suddenly.

" Oh, I'm fine," Selene replied, waving her hand.

" But, you don't look too well," another priest said.

" I'm fine, really…I need to see this. But, I could use a chair," Selene admitted. One of the monks got up to offer her his seat, which she accepted gracefully.

" Maybe you shouldn't see this. You should get more rest," another priest said.

" I will get all the rest I need later, so don't bug me anymore," Selene replied, indicating in her voice that she was not to be questioned further. The rest of them obliged, and they fell silent, although Selene noticed they glance at her once in a while, as if she was going to faint any moment now. She returned her gaze at Azaroth, who looked nervous standing in the middle of the courtroom.

-

Azaroth hated his position. He had been chained by the guards several minutes ago, and now that the courtroom had filled up with so many people, he felt like a caged animal on display. It was not that he did not liked to be displayed, but it was why he was being displayed that he disliked.

Azaroth wondered why it was taking the judge and the jury so long. He had been standing here for some time, yet there was still no sign of the trial starting. He wondered if they just brought him here early just to psyche him out, allow him to be immersed in the gazes of people till he cracked. Azaroth almost laughed at the thought of it.

Azaroth tried to observe the crowd. He could not spot anyone familiar, save for the crusader that arrested him, who was leaning on the wall somewhere to the back of the crowd, her helm tipped low as if she was sleeping, but Azaroth knew very well she was not. He glanced at the general crowd, who were now whispering to one another, probably gossiping about how he killed and old man.

Suddenly, there was an echoing silence, and the crowd turned around towards the front door. Azaroth followed their gaze to see who had silenced the crowd. The large, wooden doors were now open, and regal figure entered the courtroom. He wore a large, tall hat that was adorned in gold and silver, along with matching robes. Right behind him, there were several other people, and from the looks on their dresses, Azaroth knew that they were all from the Holy Order.

The regal looking man went up to the main stand where the judge stood. The rest of the people following him went towards the jury stand and sat down quietly. Someone stood up at the side of the main stand, and proclaimed loudly " Now, we shall proceed with the trial. The session is now in order, and Judge Saldow will begin!"

Judge Saldow stood up, his large frame seemingly shadowing Azaroth. Unrolling a scroll he was carrying, he read out in a booming voice " The court shall now start by reading the charges of the criminal, Azaroth Crimson." He then paused and looked Azaroth " Speak your name, criminal."

Azaroth was about to reply, when suddenly, he felt bold all of a sudden, and rebellious. If he was going to be wrongfully charged, then at least he would make the best out of it. So, for his first reply, he kept silent.

The crowd started murmuring to one another, wondering why he was no answering. Judge Saldow waited for a moment, then frowning replied " I said, speak your name, criminal."

" Oh, you were speaking to me?" Azaroth replied, feigning ignorance " Sorry, but if I remember correctly, I'm no criminal."

" That has no relevance. How dare you show such disrespect towards the court of law!" a wizard declared, jumping up from his seat.

" Disrespect? I will show some respect when I actually kill someone," Azaroth spat back. He was enjoying himself.

" Azaroth Crimson, the charges are as follows," Judge Saldow continued, ignoring Azaroth's antics " You have been charged with the murder of our beloved Cardinal Crenarius, six days ago in his own room. For such a heinous and gruesome act of violence, you all be executed two days from now by the axe." He paused, then asked " Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

" You have the wrong man," Azaroth replied.

" The criminal has nothing more to say, take him out!" Judge Saldow replied.

Two guards started to walk up to Azaroth, but before they reached him, Azaroth suddenly cried out loudly " What kind of trial is this?! You give some phoney charge to an innocent man, and you just walk away?! Where the hell is proof that I even snuffed an old man in his sleep?!"

There was a collective intake of gasps within the crowd. Even the two guards heading towards Azaroth stopped in his tracks. A second later, there was a loud outburst by several people, mostly priests and panels from the jury, as they started to yell angrily at Azaroth.

" How dare you disrespect Cardinal Crenarius! He was a good man, and you dare speak his name in such a fashion…"

" A lowly commoner with a foul tongue! Hang him now!"

" You dare speak his name in such a manner…!"

" Then prove my guilt!" Azaroth roared, silencing the crowd, which even surprised himself. " I have been brought here for a trial, not for some condemning session. If you are to press those charges against me, then at least show me proof!"

The crowd attending the trial were quite taken aback by Azaroth's boldness in resisting such charges. Judge Saldow glanced at him appraisingly, then slowly said " Very well, if you insist."

" First of all, one must take account upon your previous charges years ago…"

" That's bullshit! That has no relevance to the matter. Not being murderer before does not make you less of a murderer now! And for heaven's sake, the charges were dropped the last time, OFFICIALLY!!"

" The murder weapons, after substantial checking, are confirmed to be blades from a Haedonggum and a Tsurugi, both of which are blades in which you possess…"

" Blatant technicality! I can find you a merchant who has both swords, and I can also find you more than one of them!" Azaroth objected. " Anymore?" Azaroth snarled.

Judge Saldow gave a knowing nod, smiling thinly. " Yes, we have in fact one last fact, and with this, your fate will be sealed," he replied. Azaroth waited for his reply, his heart beating quickly now.

" May I call upon Cardinal Martrian, Cardinal Selaindria and Cardinal Maginus to rise."

At once, three men rose from their seats at the jury panel. Azaroth gave a fleeting glance at them. All three were identically dressed in almost pure white robes, lines with embroidery of a Payonese origin. They were old, weathered men, and if not for the walking staffs they carry, Azaroth would have to say they look the same.

" Cardinal Martrian, Cardinal Selaindria and Cardinal Maginus all witnessed your brutal attack on our beloved Cardinal Crenarius. The three of them have sworn that they had seen you on the night you murdered Cardinal Crenarius. Thus, with that, your fate is sealed!" Judge Saldow boomed.

Azaroth felt incredulous. His fate was decided by three old men who could not possibly see well in the dark, yet alone recognise him. And the entire thing stuck him as very fishy.

" I have two theories: either they are mistaken, or they are lying. I think they are lying…" Azaroth said.

" We have enough of your theories of your innocence! Guards, take this raving criminal away!" Judge Saldow declared, in which the guards started to move in around him.

" Everyone, does this not strike you a strange!? Three of them witnessed the attack, but yet did not raise the alarm on that night and have me arrested then! Doesn't this act seem strange…argh!" Azaroth yelled, cut off mid-sentence as the guards grabbed him and pulled him away.

" My fate is being decided by three old men who probably can't see well in the dark! Is there any truth in their words that what they say could be true?! I'm being framed here, and hell yes, I think those three old men are behind this. There is no proof of my guilt! I did not murder anyone!" Azaroth continued to yell even as he was being forcibly dragged away.

" Silence that man!" Judge Saldow demanded.

" This trial is flawed! I bet you all can see that..." Azaroth's voice faded away as he was quickly brought out of the court room. However, there seemed to be a hint of dissenssion within the crowd as they whispered in hushed voices, but now in a totally different tone.

" This court is dismissed..." Judge Saldow exclaimed, sighing loudly before stepping off the main altar.

" That apparently did not go well," Serene replied.

" No, apparently, it went better than I had even expected it to be. Never realised he still had that rebellious spirit within him. I thought he was scared shitless," Tryzen laughed. Serene raised her eyebrows, certainly not understanding Tryzen's actions. Tryzen took her by the arms and led her outside, as the crowd was starting to thin out as they moved out of the courtroom.

" Look, Azaroth's remarks may have cause some people to think carefully about the trial, and when they start questioning, maybe they will figure out it is flawed," Tryzen replied.

" I don't see how that will help. I doubt they'll figure out in time before he is executed," Serene replied.

" No, that's the point," Tryzen replied. " Look, he is not going to be executed. That's what we are here for. The thing is, when we get him out, people will think back on what he said, and with that, we have an advantage over whoever is playing with Azaroth. Even if they are going to prosecute Azaroth again, they'll be facing some opposition by then."

" You talk as if you have rescued him already," Serene replied.

Tryzen patted Serene gently on her shoulder. " Have some faith in me, that's all I ask," Tryzen replied as they spotted Vermillion running up towards them.

" What now?" she demanded.

" A quiet place. Where do you stay, V?"

---

Azaroth was rudely dumped into his cell again, handcuffed now at his hands and his legs, chained along with an iron ball. He groaned slightly as he hit the hard, solid ground of his stone cell. His head was still ringing slightly from being mishandled in such a fashion by all the knights. As he tried to sit up straight, he heard the guards slam the door loudly behind him.

" Brilliant, real smoothe, Azaroth. At least you'll go out a rebel..." he said sarcastically to himself. He wondered what he had achieved with that stunt, but at least it was worth a shot, if he was going to die anyway.

He sighed loudly as he tried to lay himself comfortably on an unconfortable floor. Staring at the lone gril window in his cell and started contemplating his fate. Surely, he hated what was going on, but what was he going to do about it?

He was alone, unarmed, and if he wanted to break out, he would need to pass through the entire Pronteran army, unless he was going to use the iron ball chained to his feet and hands as a weapon, then he should start pumping weights to use it efffectively. He laughed at himself. Even the idea of escape seemed ludicrious and laughable to him.

Then he thought of his friends. Would they help him out? There was Serene, but she was new here, and would be unfamiliar with the system. Vermillion would just make a lot of trouble and noise. Krayken was just too far away. The rest of them were probably uninformed of his arrest and will only be notified with his execution. Besides, he hated

_I don't want to die, _he told himself. _I've still got many things to do._

He needed to escape, and he suddenly felt bold. If I'm a convicted fellon, then what is the point in staying here? Azaroth knew better than people what honour and moral was, but now was a good time to throw all that out the window.

Azaroth got up to his feet, suddenly inspired. He decided he needed to get out of here. The next problem was how he was going to achieve that.

---

" Quite a small place," Tryzen remarked as they entered Vermillion's room in the monastery. It was furnished with simple furniture: a small bed, a table with a lamp and a small wardrobe. There was a window and besides a small painting of a moutain scenary, nothing else decorated Vermillion's room.

" It's free, so I'm not complaining," Vermillion replied, closing the door of her room. " Besides, I'm not the materialistic kind of person. I'm a simple girl with simple pleasures. I've got better things to do than decorate my room."

" Right, so what do we do now?" Serene asked, taking a seat by the bed.

" You mean rescueing him?" Tryzen asked.

" Yes, that was so obvious. Any plans in that brilliant mind of yours?" Vermillion asked.

Tryzen sighed, before saying " Well, I formulated basic plan on my way here, and frankly, I think we have two options: one would be to rescue him where he is held up, or we make a fuss during his execution."

" Get him out? How do you expect to do that? You want to break into prison?" Vermillion asked incredulously.

" At night. There is only a resonable amount of guards there, and with your ability to open warp portals, we can easily escape. The trouble will be subdueing the guards long enough and keep noise levels as low as possible to not alert the rest of them. I think I'm more than a match for mot of the guard in general, so subduing them would be no problem. The problem would be to keep it quiet," Tryzen replied.

" When are we going to start?" Serene asked.

" You seriously don't object to such radical methods?" Tryzen asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

" I don't stay here...I won't pass judgement upon what happens," Serene answered nonchalantly.

" V?"

" If you let me beat some of them, I'm all yours," she replied, grinning.

" If you have no objections, here's how I plan on doing it."


	9. Chapter 8: Taking Credit

**Chapter 8: Taking Credit**

" Ah, this is certainly relaxing..." a young lady sighed, stretching herself in the bathtub. She had just recently submerged herself in the warm bath which was soaked with fragrant soap and a few select herbs she had picked herself. Her entire bathroom was steaming, filled to the brim with a thick, aromatic smell that just smelt heavenly. After a long day's work of testing chemicals and gathering new herbs, she was just exhausted.

Just as Teranis Maryson immersed herself in pleasure, there was a tentative knock on her door and she groaned loudly. People just seem to like disturbing her when she took a bath, and nothing took the enjoyment out of a nice soak than a disturbing presence, usually in the form of a maid or a messenger.

" What now?" she groaned, not bothering to hide her displeasure. If whoever this person was, then they better learn that Teranis gets pissed when disturbed while bathing.

The timid face of her maid peeked through the door which she had opened slightly, her eyes looking frightful as if Teranis would bite her head off. She waved her hand out, which was holding a letter. " Um, I know you don't like to be disturbed now, but I have a letter for you..." she said.

Teranis felt like saying that she should have just left it on her desk, but she knew her maid knew better than that. If she interrupted her in the middle of her bath, the letter must be of some importance.

" Who sent it?" Teranis asked nonchalantly.

" Um, Priestess Selene Mayfly."

" Yes, she's my friend, but I doubt the letter was that important for you to barge in like this..." Teranis scowled.

" I think it is. She sent it using an acolyte..."

The instant she heard the word 'acolyte', she leaped out of the bathtub. Simply drying her hands, she snatched the letter out of her maid's hands and ripped it open, reading the letter instantly. Even on important occasions, the quickest method Selene ever used was a messenger hawk. Sending an acolyte here meant that she needed to send this message instantly, and she started to read the contents, not bothering to dress herself as she stood dripping wet in her bathroom:

_Dear Teranis, _

_I hope you are well. I hope you are not doing anything busy, and I certainly hope that you are not feeling intruded in any way, but I really need your help. You are the one of the few friends I can trust and rely on without having any biased ideas on certain subjects._

_I know this is much of a rush, but if it is possible, can you come down to Prontera? I desperately need your help, and I'm not sure I can handle the situation here by myself. I hope you can reply this letter quickly. I really appreciate it if you can come. I'll explain everything when you get here._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Selene Mayfly._

Teranis read the letter, then read it again, twice. It did not make much sense, except that Selene needed her help desperately. It did not explain much, but Teranis did not need explanations for pleas for help. She tore out of the room immediately to pack her stuff.

---

Azaroth was pacing around in his cell, as far as the chains that withheld him would allow him to go. Night had fallen all over Prontera, and the streets of the capital were silent, let alone for the creatures and the insects of the night. Azaroth had been pacing for as long as he could remember, straining his brain for some solution to his predicament.

The timing was perfect: to escape in the middle of the night where there was the least guards and at a time where it was harder to catch him. He banged his cuffs against the metal bars, making a loud clanging noise. The sound reverberated all around the place before stopping silently.

" Where is a convenient lock pick when you need one?" Azaroth mused to himself, sitting down finally after hours of pacing to find a solution to get out of his cell, although he would later note that a lock pick would still be a useless tool for him as he had no technical skills to pick the locks that held him.

He stared gloomily across his cell. The previous prisoner that talked to him was no longer there. Somewhere near the end of the evening, an hour before the sun set completely, he was escorted out of the cell. Azaroth had not seen him since, but he did not need to be told what happened to him, as he was about to share the same fate.

He was getting drowsy, as it was rather late now. Too tired to think of anything feasible for his escape, he started to close his eyes and fall asleep. As he slowly drifted into a dreamy state, he thought quietly to himself " I don't want to die…I need to get out of this place…"

" Would you need help with that?"

Azaroth did not realize it at first, but he jumped up immediately, almost toppling over in his rush when it hit his senses that he actually heard a voice. A surge of adrenaline was shot into his body, and now he was wide awake.

His eyes scanned his cell. The place was dark, gloomy and lacked any source of light, but he was quite sure there was no visible person around. He glanced around again to make sure there was no one around. He was not sure what he felt: it was probably a mixture of fear and excitement.

" Hello? Are you still there?" Azaroth asked to nobody in particular, sounding silly as he did so.

" I am…" the voice floated again. This time he heard it more clearly now, and the sound seem to echo in his head. Telepathy? He knew this sort of complex form of communication worked at varying degrees of levels, but this was the first time anyone actually communicated with him in such a manner.

" Who are you? Where are you? Why are you speaking in my head? More importantly, how did you read my mind?" Azaroth asked quickly, although he was careful to keep his voice low just in case the guards become suspicious that he was speaking to himself all of a sudden. It struck him then that whoever that was calling to him had answered a question he asked himself in his head, and although mind-reading was an intriguing thing, Azaroth had a thing against someone actually doing it to him.

" I wasn't really mind reading, just observing your movements…" the voice replied, now in a coyly manner. It came in a garbled, messy jumble, and it was hard to tell whether whoever was speaking to him was male or female.

" I'd rather not take help from something I can't see. Show your face," Azaroth demanded. Nothing happened after a few seconds. " I said, show yourself," Azaroth repeated, more forcefully now.

Suddenly, there was a purple spark. Azaroth thought he was dreaming, but he saw it again: a bright, purple spark, in the shape of a lighting bolt, appearing out of thin air. It started to increase in frequency, and soon, there was a bright purple center where the bolts were flashing out, illuminating the room in a melancholic purple glow. Azaroth could feel the crackle of power coming from whatever it was, yet there was no sound, as if the sparks had no energy.

The center of the sparks suddenly burst forth in bright light, which pained Azaroth's eyes immensely, forcing him to close his eyes and look away. When the light dimmed slightly, Azaroth stole a look at what was there.

A hooded figure of average height stood before him. In the darkness, he could not even make out the colour of the cloak the person was wearing. The hooded person's entire features were covered with the thick, ragged cloak he or she was wearing. Nothing was visible, and it was as if a shadow materialized up from the floor.

" Who are you?" Azaroth asked.

" My name is immaterial," the person responded in the same undistinguished voice, so that Azaroth was still unable to distinguish whether the person speaking to him was a male or a female. " What is more important here, is that you are about to be punished for a crime, and with that, I'm offering you a chance to escape."

" What is your motivation?" Azaroth asked.

" Allow me to explain things in detail: I have disabled the guards outside, and now they are totally unconscious. I have the keys for the iron walls that hold you. If you accept my offer, you are free to do whatever you want after I open these doors. My only request is that you leave this place and stay as far as you can from the danger that lurks here. Do not interrupt me," the person said hoarsely, seeing Azaroth trying to say something. " Make up you mind, my offer expires the minute I lose my patience waiting."

Azaroth felt that the offer was just too good to be true. He needed to escape, and somehow the solution just fell into his hands. He wondered if there was a catch, because somewhere in an unwritten rule it said that there will be, but somehow Azaroth's gut feeling told him there was none. He quickly decided he will worry about the details later. It was more important that he lived through the day first.

" I accept your deal," Azaroth replied quickly.

He was not too sure about it, but he could have sworn that his hooded visitor smiled. He heard a shuffling of cloth, then a soft, teasing jingle of what familiarly sounded like a bunch of keys. The hooded figure stood by the door for several seconds, and after a resounding click, the iron door of Azaroth's cell swung open. The person walked up towards Azaroth, and within a few seconds, all the cuffs that bound him were off.

" As a sort of an appreciation for accepting my offer, I'd like you to have these as well," the hooded person said, bending down in front of Azaroth. Something slid out from under the cloak, and Azaroth soon spotted both his swords being placed on the ground. As soon as the person was done, the person got up and started to leave.

" Wait!" Azaroth cried, picking up his weapons and slinging them by his side. The hooded person stopped in his or her tracks, and turned his or her head towards Azaroth. Somehow, at this angle, with enough light from the moon, allowed Azaroth to see the person's face from the mouth down.

" Why are you doing this?" Azaroth asked. Everything was happening too fast for him to feel normal. The hooded figure stood at the same spot, the head facing Azaroth's direction, probably just staring at him. He was about to ask again, when the person suddenly smiled. Not just any smile: a smile that looked malevolent yet mischievous at the same time, as if there was a joke coming.

" I may not have morals, but I do believe that one should not take credit for another person's actions, and most certainly, you shall not credit from Cardinal Crenarius's death," the person replied in a manner that suggested that he or she was greatly amused , then with a swish of the cloak, disappeared outside the dungeon door.

Azaroth tore after the person, swinging open the dungeon door, but as he glared down the torch-lit corridor, there was nobody in sight, except two unconscious guards. He knelt down next to their unmoving bodies, hoping that whoever that helped him had not killed them since it would mean more trouble for him. The sight of their breathing bodies calmed his nerves slightly.

Gripping his sword, he tore down the corridor. He remembered the way inside the dungeon, and it would be a simple matter of getting out of the place. The main problem was how was he even supposed to get out of the walls of the Pronteran fort? He would be lucky that he did not trigger any guards on alert on the way, and if he did, he would be soon facing the entire Pronteran army, along with members of the Holy Order.

It was quite against the odds, but Azaroth knew he had to try. The first thing was to get out of the dungeon unnoticed, then he would slowly make his way out of the place. As he turned sharply around the corner, he came face to face with two female knights who were giggling about a certain topic that involved Aesis Crenilia before they spotted him.

-

" You all ready?" Tryzen asked.

" Is this cloak really necessary?" Serene asked, looking up from under the large hood that covered his face.

" Certainly not, he's just made you wear that just to satisfy his kinks," Vermillion mused under the equally large cloak she was wearing which was similar to the one that was draped over Serene. Both of them followed Tryzen from behind, looking like a couple of followers trailing their aristocratic master. Tryzen, for obvious reasons, did not wear a cloak, except his usual leather garments of his wizards dress.

" Shut up, we are almost there," Tryzen replied, walking briskly towards the dungeon gates.

The place where Azaroth was held was a rather shoddy looking place. It consisted of one story tall building, built around the best isolated area of the city, which was still near the middle of the city, fortified with barbwire and a tall wall, along with knights patrolling the area with the orders to kill those who don't obey. Two knights and two crusaders turned their attention towards Tryzen and the two figures following him from behind as they approached them.

" Greetings, armoured brethren. I was hoping you all could be some help to me," Tryzen said, in a rather casual, high pitched voice. Serene heard Vermillion snort.

One of the knights looked appraisingly at Tryzen, as if trying to figure out if he had seen him somewhere when one of the crusaders, obviously in charge, nudged him aside, saying " It's rude to stare like that. Forgive him, he's a general idiot." The other remaining two companions just laughed at the remark.

" That's alright, I was hoping you could help me with something," Tryzen said.

" What do you need help with?" the crusader asked.

Unknowingly, Tryzen held one hand behind his back, and he snapped his fingers. There was a surge of power, and a small flame encompassed itself around his fists. Seeing the flame, it was their signal to get ready. Both Serene and Vermillion fingered their bow and cracked their knuckles respectively as they waited for Tryzen to take the first strike.

Just as Tryzen was about to give the crusader a calculated blast, since it was out of his intention to kill an innocent person, there was a rush of footsteps. Tryzen immediately extinguished his flame as soon as a young swordsman skidded into their view from behind, just coming out from a niche from a corridor.

" Emergency! There is a prisoner on the run!" the swordsman declared in a hoarse voice.

" What?!" the crusader in charge exclaimed. " Who?!"

" I don't really know his name…the one that was charged by the High Court for Cardinal Crenarius's murder…" the swordsman gasped.

" Azaroth!" the other crusader exclaimed, drawing his sword. He was obviously pissed at Azaroth for some reason.

" Maurine, follow Dex here back to the inner quarters. Find that guy, but keep your guard up. Neivein," the crusader barked, after the other crusader and the swordsman left " Go towards the nearest guard tower. We'll need the lights on!"

" Yes, Melanie!" the knight whom Melanie had disciplined for his behavior exclaimed, running off quickly to Tryzen's right. Melanie looked at Tryzen, who was observing the on-goings with much attention, and asked " I'm sorry…what did you need?"

" I needed directions, but it seems like you are occupied. Don't bother, you have other important things on your hands," Tryzen said, bowing and backing away. Melanie nodded her thanks, and ordered the remaining knight to follow her in her search. By now, the alarm seemed to have spread so quickly, more people, especially those from the army, started to flood the streets. Tryzen, Vermillion and Serene wisely backed off.

" I must give Azaroth more credit than he deserves. How the hell did he get out by himself?!" Tryzen exclaimed, both sounding infuriated and pleased at the same time.

" Would he actually break out?" Serene asked.

" Yes and no. I wouldn't know actually. He might or might not. It seems like he did," Tryzen answered. Both Serene and Vermillion took of their hoods as soon as no one nearby could see them do so.

" Or maybe someone let him loose," Vermillion suggested. Both Tryzen and Serene stopped in their tracks as they heard Vermillion give that comment.

" What?!" she exclaimed, as they gave her a rather incredulous look. " He's locked up inside a cell, chained by his hands and feet, held down by a heavy iron ball, and with no weapons or tools to help him escape, except his meal bowl. Even if he got his weapons, and I know he can break down iron bars and sturdy wooden doors with his blades, he will need to get past several guards first, without making that much racket as breaking a door. The swordsman said he escaped, that means that he got out without anyone knowing. Either someone let him loose, or he had the keys to his locks all along!"

" But…"

" No. V gives a very thought-provoking insight. Now that I think of it, it is much more likely that someone let him loose. However, we will have to figure out all these puzzling events later. Our main priority is to get Azaroth to safety. It would be unwise to let him linger around longer than needed," Tryzen replied. He dug into his bag and handed something over to Serene.

" Butterfly Wings?" Serene asked, seeing the odd, purple lump in her hands.

" Make him use it as soon as you see him. He'll need to get the hell out of this place immediately, who cares where! Use the other one on yourself just in case the guards catch you with him. I have a couple for myself. V, warp him out immediately. We need to split up and search for him," Tryzen replied.

" I'll search the surrounding area," Vermillion declared, running off. Serene headed back towards the dungeon building where they had originally came from and Tryzen ran towards the city streets.

-

There were sounds of people moving about. Selene tried to forget about it, as she needed more rest. Her body had mostly healed from her injuries, but it still left her tired nonetheless. Injuries that took months to heal was quickened to about slightly less than a week by healing spells, and with her ability to use holy magic herself, she could regulate her body to heal at most in three days time. But she needed all the rest she could get, but the sudden intrusion of noise was to rob her of that precious sleep that she won't be getting anytime soon.

Selene woke up from her sleep. There seemed to be an awful lot of noise for some time in the night, and it was not even in the event of a war, unless one happened which she was blissfully unaware of. She got up from her bed and listened.

There was a lot of shouting coming from one of the ends of the window, and from it, it looked like either a whole load of kobolds had suddenly broke loose from some guy's crate as he was smuggling them into the city or someone broke loose from the city dungeon.

Selene opened the door of her room, only to find several priests and acolytes walking around, rather surprised at all the commotion and were wandering around trying to find out what had happened. Several knights and archers dropped by and passed messages to some of the priests that were around, who then quickly left the place.

" What's going on?" Serene asked one of the swordsmen who was leaving the place, stopping him by holding him by his shoulder.

" It looks like the criminal Azaroth Crimson has escaped the dungeon cell he was being held up in. Stay on the alert, priestess, and if you do see him, do send word to us," the swordsman said quickly, before disappearing down a flight of stairs.

Selene stood in the middle of the mess of people who were moving about, talking to each other as news on Azaroth's escape reached their ears. Some of the able-bodies priests and monks, especially those in the army, were organizing parties of their own to go on to help in the search for the escaped prisoner. Soon, the whole city will be alerted. And Selene was standing numbly as she heard the news, as everybody else moved about energetically, as if being caught on fire.

With a sudden inspiration, she dashed down the flight of stairs that the swordsman took previously.

---

Teranis quickly packed whatever she could stuff inside her traveling bag and slung it over her shoulders. Making sure she had cleaned and kept all her chemical equipment, lest one should suddenly explode due to her absence to take care of them. It was late at night, and she had not completed her ritual daily bath, but she was not too bothered about it now, especially in the light of things.

" Alright, Alreen is it?" Teranis replied, speaking to the acolyte Selene had used to send the message. The young acolyte nodded, standing up after waiting for Teranis to get ready.

" I'm sorry you had to wait for such a long time, but I'm ready now. Shall we go?" Teranis asked.

" Sure," Alreen replied, forming the seals to open the warp portal. Within seconds, they had left the room.

A minute later, a lone figure entered Teranis home through the window on the bottom floor. Krayken looked around the room, then quietly waltz towards Teranis's study table. On the desk, she had left the letter Selene had written to her, pleading for help. He took it up, lighted a candle nearby to read its contents, and then took a while to digest its contents.

" I knew something was up in Prontera," he mused silently to himself. Extinguishing the candle with his bare fingers, he sneaked out through the window he came in from, leaving no trace that he was even in there previously.

---

There was a yell of fury, and an assassin swung his katar violently towards his opponent. The rogue he was fighting tired to dodge the attack, but he was not quick enough to avoid the blow entirely. The assassin managed to sweep a shallow strike on the rogue's chest before he made enough room for himself to parry the next blow.

" You are not as invincible as the tale goes, Grimjaw!" the assassin mocked, as three others circled around the rogue.

" Nobody even said I was invincible, but I'm sure they mentioned that it was a bad mistake to mess with me," Grimjaw snarled, lashing out at his opponent with his daggers. The assassin quickly parried two thrusts Grimjaw launched, but was unable to avoid the uppercut that seem to come out of nowhere. Grimjaw slit the man's throat, and as his body was suddenly suspended due to the attack, he viciously stabbed him in his cranium, where the dagger went in deep.

It had been a long night for Grimjaw Windwalker. A group of assassins decided they could play it right by striking at him at the opportune moment, to grab Grimjaw's bounty. However, they should also realize that a person with a high bounty would also be difficult to get.

One of the assassins thought it was wise to strike as soon as Grimjaw had finished his attack, but he would soon find out that Grimjaw was too much of a prey for them to handle. Sensing his movement just in time, Grimjaw made a sidestep so fast it was almost as if he disappeared, as if he was walking on wind. Grimjaw always thought that both his family name and given name were fitting personalities to his traits.

Whirling around after avoiding the blow, he used the gained momentum to hack at his enemy from behind. The assassin gave a loud cry of horror as Grimjaw cut off his arm straight off from his joint. It took one second later for him to silence the man by cutting off his head.

The two other assassins were now indecisive on whether to press their attack. The body of their companions were now scattered all over the desert grounds for the Morrocan sands to suck up. But if they were planning on escape, Grimjaw was not about to let them do so. Letting someone who wanted his head would just cause them to come back again some other day, usually with another bunch of savage murderers. Morrocan life had thought him that.

It was just like every other night in the desert of Morroc, except on exceptional days where he actually had to kill someone. He could not wait to finish off these two people. When he was done, he would go back home, nurse himself and have a good nights rest. Nothing else could or will change that fact.

It would be few moments later before he finds out that the night's events would just lead him to something more than that.

_Writer's note: There is some limit on how far the Butterfly Wing can actually take you in the game, and specifically where, but for convenience sake, in my story the Butterfly Wing works the same as a warp portal, except for one person only._


	10. Chapter 9: Escaping Prontera

**Chapter 9: Escaping Prontera**

Azaroth immediately rammed his body into two on-coming knights when he saw the opportunity. Both of them where thrown backwards by the force, and as Azaroth ran pass them, he started nursing his aching shoulder. He needed to avoid as many unnecessary fights as possible. The knights were not his enemies, and since most of them were equipped with spears or javelins, engaging them in the tight, narrow corridors of the dungeon was suicide.

He skidded around the corner, and dashed out the nearest door. Someone gave a cry, and there was the loud clanking of a lot of greaves coming from behind. Giving a short prayer hoping the door was not locked, he threw his body against it. Fortunately for him, it flew open.

He barely had time to throw his weight back on the door to close it when what felt like two bodies slammed against the door, trying to burst it open, but Azaroth was able to nudge the door to close again. He could hold out two knights, but it was unlikely he will hold out more than three of them, and there were four times more of them where they came from.

He slotted a javelin he picked up from one of the knights he knocked aside and stuffed it within the door's handle. The door budged slightly as the knights slammed their bodies against it again, but they were effectively sealed. Breathing a sigh of relief, he took a look at where he was now.

To his right was a long stretch of corridor which looked like it would lead him deeper into the dungeon again. To his left was a window at the end, where it forked out to the left and right. His heart suddenly leaped. The window was his exit. At most, it would be ten feet high and he calculated he was light enough to not take that much damage.

However, as he started moving towards the direction of the window, two figures loomed out from the right. He stopped in his tracks, just as they did. What made this more of an awkward moment was that he knew one of them.

" Well, awkward meeting again under such circumstances," Melanie grinned, her sword and shield already drawn.

" I can't say that I look forward to it," Azaroth replied gloomily, drawing both his swords.

" Alert the others! Go!" Melanie barked to her companion.

" But, Captain…"

" I can handle him. Bring reinforcements immediately!" Melanie replied. The knight immediately took off, and this did not bode well for Azaroth. If he was held up for any longer in a place swarming with people eager to put him back in prison, it won't take long for the knight to bring in reinforcements.

Before the knight had even left, Azaroth sprung forward, bringing his sword down upon Melanie. She raised her shield to parry his strike, but another hand of his swung around, bringing his other blade towards her body. With a speed that was surprising coming from a crusader, she raised her sword and parried his blow quickly.

The next few seconds the events happened so fast Azaroth just needed to find some time later to congratulate Melanie. Parrying his blow, she flipped her blade around, holding it with the tip of fingers, and stretched out to hold his hand back. Azaroth was taken aback at how strong she was, being able to effectively hold his arm back while holding a sword. Before Azaroth could counter her move, she slammed her foot, which was equipped with steel greaves, hard on his, use her shield to effectively push his sword that held it down aside, knee him in the gut and slam the shield violently against his forehead.

Azaroth felt his body being throw aside, numbly aware that he had slammed onto the wall. A flash of steel brought back his senses, and he ducked just in time to dodge Melanie's blade that went crushing into the stone wall.

He backed up a few spaces to buy his some breathing space. His head was ringing, and the pain in his gut was making his head go dizzy. The speed and style of attack was way too advance for a normal crusader, as far was Azaroth knew. He did not need to be told that he had engaged one of the elites in the army.

Azaroth tried to strike her again, but she developed a stance that was really troublesome for him. She raised up her shield and held it in front of her, almost effectively cutting her field of vision. However, Azaroth soon found out that this was not much of a problem to her.

Since he was stuck in a corridor, his line of movement was limited, and any forward strikes would land on her shield first. And when it did, she would just push him back with the shield and try to strike him with her blade, which Azaroth cannot really see since his line of vision was also almost effectively blocked as well. Attacking her legs was foolish, since he would need extra time to stretch out to her limbs, and that did not bode well, especially with her fighting style. He was effectively trapped, unless he decided to back up into the dungeon again, which he did not find favourable. His escape was so close, he just needed a few feet of breathing space.

" What's wrong? Can't pass through?" she taunted him as she parried anther ineffective strike of his.

" Funny. Was a sense of humour a prerequisite of joining the army?" Azaroth scoffed.

" You aren't getting out of here, Azaroth. You will stay here, and you will receive punishment for what you have done," Melanie replied. She waited, but there seemed to be a long pause between his next strike. She wondered what made him stop. She lowered her shield slightly to see what had happened to him. She saw him looking at her in a weird manner. He seemed taken aback at what she said.

" That's a first," he suddenly said.

" What is?" Melanie replied.

" The first person to address me as Azaroth and not some criminal when directly addressed," Azaroth replied.

" Is that of some importance of you?" Melanie asked.

" Indeed it is. You treat me as an equal, not like some criminal everyone thinks I am," Azaroth answered.

" You are," Melanie shot back.

" For your information, I'm not, and you should be spending your energies searching for the real criminal. You are wasting your time and effort with me," Azaroth replied.

" Oh, really? And how will escaping here make you any less innocent?" Melanie demanded, moving forward slightly to place more distance between Azaroth and the window.

" If to prove my innocence means loosing my life, I'd rather stay guilty," Azaroth replied. " I've been sentenced to death already, no matter whether I'm guilty or not. You think staying here makes a difference? What's the point in staying if you are going to die anyway?" Melanie had no reply for that, for it was logical.

Azaroth tried to push his way through, but Melanie merely shrugged him off to push him back. " Let me go! Somewhere in your heart you know there is something wrong with all these events. I'm innocent!" Azaroth yelled, getting frustrated he was being held here by a persistent crusader, yet he could not really blame her as it was her job to keep him here.

" That's not for me to question," Melanie declared firmly.

" You are not my enemy! But I'm not waiting here to die! Move, or else I'll be forced to hurt you!" Azaroth declared his ultimatum. Melanie scoffed. If he could beat her now, she would be impressed.

Footsteps of people could be heard running along somewhere close, and Azaroth knew his time was almost up. If he did not make his move now, he would be a dead man. He had to make his move perfect to avoid any risk. If it was not for the confines of the narrow corridor, he might be able to best Melanie, but under these conditions there was just one move left.

Melanie heard Azaroth take four steps back, which puzzled her as it meant that he was loosing ground intentionally. Suddenly, a powerful force hit her shield. It was almost as forceful as someone swinging a war hammer at full strength directly at her. Melanie gritted her teeth as she felt the force knock her back a couple of feet. However, before she could recover, Azaroth threw another flying slash at her.

The second strike knocked Melanie off balance, and it was all Azaroth needed. Charging forward, he pushed Melanie aside as he headed for the window. Reinforcements came just about a second too late, and as soon as they appeared around the junction, Azaroth threw his body against the window.

He felt his body fly out into the empty sky and start to fall along with all the broken pieces of glass. It took less than a second for him to his the ground, rolling along on the ground. Bits and pieces of glass ripped his shirt, but he could care less. Picking up his body, he started running away, ignoring the aches and pains in his body for the meantime.

The knights, who were all wearing armour made of metal, could not jump down from the window to the ground floor without a high risk of injury, so they started scrambling away to reach other exits. Only Melanie and a few others stayed behind to look at the broken window and where Azaroth was heading to.

Melanie glanced down to her shield. Her specially made Holy Guard had two, long slashes, one vertical and one horizontal, etched into the shield, ironically, in the shape of a cross. It was more of a dent, and although she was quite unharmed, the damage done was quite significant. Her shield had been a gift from her mentor when she attained the rank of a crusader, and was specially made by Dirk Quintos, one of Prontera's finest blacksmiths, to be durable, yet whatever Azaroth attacked her with made a lot of damage.

Melanie could roughly guess what Azaroth used: some sort of range attack that was wind based. However, sensing no magic energy channeled through him, the only other explanation was that he threw a flying slash, something almost unheard off and absurd if she had not seen it before. Apparently, more than one person could use this skill.

It also puzzled her why did Azaroth directly aim for her shield only. Both attacks had struck her shield squarely in the middle. He could have easily hit somewhere lower once, probably her feet, and achieve the same result. Was he purposely trying to avoid injuring her directly, replying on knocking her off balance?

" Captain, what now?" one of the knights who was along with her asked. Melanie did not answer him, still gazing at the cross that Azaroth drew on her shield.

-

Azaroth gritted as he pulled himself over the brick wall that surrounded the dungeon grounds. After scaling the wall quickly, since he was rather light, he pulled himself over and dropped over the other side of the wall. He crashed right down into a wagon of hay, which immediately cracked in two, but nonetheless it broke his fall.

As he got up, two arrows whizzed past him. Some of the nearby towers were alight with bright flame, and the archers who were close enough were sniping at him from afar. He knocked one out of the way as he picked himself up and started running away in a general direction. He had made it past the walls of the dungeon. Now all he had to do next was to make it past the walls of Prontera, which needed to be followed up by running faster than everyone else pass the walls.

The night was alight with fire burning brightly everywhere, the alert having spread much faster than he could possibly outrun. He ran past several houses and buildings, with noises and shouts in the air. Pains and aches started to register in his body now, and he was hobbling along the streets.

He heard a loud crowing noise coming from above him, and his head immediately shot up to see what it was. A couple of eagles were circling around him, just about 100 meters above his head and almost invisible in the night sky if not for the bright lights that had been lit. Then, he heard several barking noises, and he glance behind him to see several wolves quickly running towards him.

It was probably hunters who had set their creatures on him. The best way to disable a wolf was to kill it, but killing the animal would probably make him unpopular with the hunter's group, so he ran as fast as his legs could take him. But these wolves were specially trained to chase and hunt down their prey, and Azaroth was not in is best form to outrun fully grown wolves.

The first wolf leaped at him, missing him as Azaroth leaped out of the way. The second lashed out at him, baring its fangs at him, and Azaroth held out the back of his blade and the wolf bit down hard. It then started violently shaking its head, as if to wrestle the weapon out of Azaroth's grip. Azaroth gave a swift kick towards the wolf's head, knocking it dizzy to release the grip on his sword. He backed off and barged through a wooden door.

Backing up inside the building he had sought temporary refuge for the moment, he locked the door and pushed a nearby table to block the door. The wolves chasing him barged loudly on the door and he heard the hinges of the door crack slightly. Looking around, he noticed he was in a small warehouse. He had to look from an escape route quick: the sound of people coming to surrounding was increasing with a worrisome frequency.

Running up to the second story, he spotted the east window which was on the opposite end of the street the wolves were on. Before he could reach it, several arrows flew in his direction, one hitting him painfully on the shoulder. Pulling off all the arrows, he saw that a few hunters and knights had climbed through the other open windows of the warehouse.

He knocked a female hunter aside as she was about to take a shot at him, cutting another arrow flying towards his skull cleanly in two with his sword. Several knights surrounded him and threw strikes at him, he parried two thrusts made at him, sinking two javelins to the wall just behind him. He threw a punch in one of the knight's face to make room for him. He ran and jumped out the east window when someone broke down the door he had barricaded, probably the wolves but he had barely any time to consider it.

Flying down from the window of a building at about ten feet high again, he landed perfectly on his two feet and started running. Azaroth was running low on energy now, and since he was bleeding quite badly, he felt his body start to weaken. He doubted he was going to make it out of this place, but that did not stop him from running away from another bunch of swordsmen and knights who were chasing him. At least he had to try.

-

Vermillion headed towards the area with the most commotion, following the shouts of people to find Azaroth. From the looks of it, it looks like they had spotted him and were giving chase. With this, she knew where he was now. The problem was to weave through a whole bunch of people to reach to him. As she ran towards the area, she met Tryzen who was running in the same direction.

" Seems like we have found him," Vermillion stated.

" There are too many people here, he will be caught quickly. We need to slow them down," Tryzen replied, running through one of the alleyways to cut through to where the noises were heard. They stopped at the edge of the alleyway, where they saw Azaroth running at some distance somewhere. Several knights ran past them, not noticing that they were there.

All of a sudden, Azaroth stopped running. Slowing to a halt, he turned around to face the mob that was chasing him vigorously and braced himself, his swords raised up.

" What the hell is he doing?! Run!" Vermillion yelled.

" He's out. He knows there is no way he an outrun all of them, so he's trying to just beat them all. We need to slow them down," Tryzen replied, his hands already forming the seals needed to cast magic. Finishing his spell, he slammed his palm upon the dirty ground.

The people who were chasing in front were suddenly slowed all of a sudden, trapped by Tryzen's Quagmire spell. Their feet sunk slightly into the ground, surprised as Azaroth was. But Tryzen was not finished by a long shot. He cast more Quagmire spells, and by the time he was finished, he had formed a line all along the road, cutting off Azaroth's pursuers from him effectively, unless they decided to tread into the thick, swampy soil.

Azaroth was evidently surprised at this, but he then broke into a run, seeing the great chance to escape. The knights and swordsmen who were stuck were now cursing, wondering if Azaroth knew magic spells.

" Damn it, I thought he was only a swordsman!"

" What?! Did he even cast a spell? Is that possible? He's not a mage, is he, or a wizard?"

" He turned around and faced us, then this happened!"

" Where are the wizards!? We need them to dispel this thing!"

" I'm surprised you were able to cast so many Quagmire spells in such a short period of time," Vermillion replied, visibly impressed.

" Well, why do you think that the Elders are always after my head? They did not call me 'Blitz' back in Geffen just for show, you know," Tryzen replied, smiling.

" They call you Blitz?"

" Forget I said that," Tryzen sighed.

" What do you mean the Elders are after your heads? Because you can cast spells faster than them?" Vermillion asked.

The Elders were the leading people who hold power over the Magic Community, and they monitor and check upon people who use magic there. In short, they are the laws of magic.

" Well, casting faster spells means deviations from normal casting, and they don't like that," Tryzen answered. " I'll answer queries later. We need to find Azaroth now!"

-

Azaroth slipped around the corner of an alleyway and leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. He did not understand why Quagmires started appearing all over the ground, but he had no energy to think about it. He felt the blood pumping inside his head loudly, and he was quite worn out. Sheathing his swords, he was forced to take a break, even though he knew it wasted precious time in his escape.

Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps nearby, too close in fact. He had not heard them earlier since he was breathing too hard and the blood was thumping in his ear drums. He got up, but two arms grabbed him and shoved him hard against the brick wall he was resting on. He felt a hand clasp itself on his mouth, disabling him from speaking. In the dim glow, he saw Serene Mayfly in the darkness.

He tried to say something, but Serene placed a finger on her lips and hushed him. Speaking calmly, she said " I believe you are innocent, Azaroth, and you are a mere pawn in a big plan. You should not stay here any longer, but rest assured, I will find what is wrong with this system that has judged you."

Given the chance, Azaroth would have broke down and shed a few tears to show how that statement meant to him, but he could not bring himself to. He just merely nodded his head.

As soon as he did, he noticed a pillar of white light surrounding him. He soon felt weightless, and then his body felt like it was sucked in some vortex. He then lost balance, and he felt himself fall down upon a sandy area. He was not sure where he was now, but he was sure that Selene had just warped him somewhere else.

Grimjaw skidded to a halt, surprised to see someone warp out of a portal in the middle of his fight. Here came a bloody, injured and worn out swordsman, in the middle of the Morrocan desert. However, his enemies did not seem to be so much bothered about it. Both charged at him, with this unknown swordsman in the middle of the way.

" Out of the way!" Grimjaw yelled, leaping towards Azaroth. Azaroth had just come to his senses when he was two assassins come towards him, their katars drawn. He felt someone wrap his or her arms around his abdomen and tugged him aside.

The assassin tried to stab Grimjaw, who quickly parried the blow in time. The second moved to the back of Grimjaw to strike him in his vulnerable area. But, as he was about to move in for the kill, there was a terrible ripping noise, and he found that two blades had pierced out of his chest.

Azaroth was a little confused as to what was going on, but the rogue had just helped him out of instinct, so he was paying him back in a way. Azaroth knew very well about taking the lives of people, but he knew he would sleep well even if he killed this man. After all, killing of the scum of Morroc might let him sleep better at night, so he pulled his swords apart, ripping the poor fellow into two and spilling his guts over the soil.

His partner was too distracted at his death to notice Grimjaw move. Soon, his head fell off, and his body soon followed it to drop down on the ground. Now that the fight was over in a sort of sense, both Grimjaw and Azaroth looked at each other awkwardly.

" Who are you?" Grimjaw asked.

" Azaroth Crimson," Azaroth answered.

" And what are you doing here?" Grimjaw questioned.

" On a holiday…" Azaroth replied, before falling down onto the sandy ground, loosing consciousness.


	11. Chapter 10: The Windwalker Family

**Chapter 10: The Windwalker Family**

Azaroth slowly opened his eyes when he had regained the ability to do so. The first thing that he saw was a round face of a girl, but he was unable to make out any specifics. He only knew that she was female, and she screamed when he suddenly opened his eyes. She jumped, and Azaroth tried to get up to calm her, but something hit him hard in the head, and he soon lapsed back into unconsciousness.

The second time he woke up, it was a male face that was looking at him, and a familiar one at that. This person did not suddenly scream at Azaroth when he woke up, instead lighted a cigarette which he had already placed in his mouth, puffing out billows of smoke.

" Feeling better now?" the man named Grimjaw asked.

" Quite," Azaroth replied, trying to get up. He had been placed on a floor somewhere, and a thin blanket was covered over him. It looked like where the rogue lived. " Um, thanks for bringing me here...um...your name..."  
" Illustrianatrienne 'Grimjaw' Windwalker, but everybody knows me as Grimjaw," he replied.

And indeed, it was a fitting nickname for one such as him. Grimjaw had quite a built, towering almost a head higher than Azaroth. His dark brown skin, spiky and messy hair, sinewy physique and two scars that ran across his left cheek and another right across his face was the result of living in Morroc for years. Even when he tried to close his mouth, it seemed like it kept open, showing his snarling, fang-like teeth. Two of them almost stuck out of his jaw.

Dressed in a cotton vest covered with a leather jacket along with a whole assortment of knives that were tucked into his jeans, this man was one of the best picture to describe a rogue. He even had an air of a rogue, and a sense of keen prowess and ability above normal people.

" Grimjaw...right," Azaroth sighed.

" May I ask why one like you is in a desolate place like this?" he asked, blowing puffs of smoke.

" Well..." Azaroth stammered. Should he tell him the real reason, or just not tell him? Grimjaw did not seem like the kind who was trying to demand something out of Azaroth. He had the killer ability, from the way Azaroth saw him kill the assassin last night, but there was something a bit out in him. From the looks, he looked like he had too much morals to be a rogue.

" Not meaning to insult you or anything, but if I tell you the reason I'm here, you might be in a dangerous position," Azaroth replied.

" How dangerous?" Grimjaw asked curiously.

" Let's just say that I might have a price on my head," Azaroth answered.

" I know how that feels," Grimjaw chuckled.

" Thanks for helping me anyway," Azaroth replied.

" The pleasure is mine, Azy, but really, don't thank me. Thank the nurse who had nursed you back to health," Grimjaw replied, walking towards the nearby door.

It suddenly hit Azaroth as strange. Why did he call him Azy? It was a shortened version of his name, only used by his friends. Did he just made it up all of a sudden, or did he already know that?

" Get some rest. We'll wake you up when its time to eat," Grimjaw replied, exiting the room. Azaroth merely nodded and lay back in his makeshift bed, falling asleep about as faster than he thought possible.

-

It was not noise that woke him up later, but a tantalising aroma that ticked his nose. Getting up and removing the blanket that covered him, he took another sniff. There was a spicy, pungent smell that was unlike any other smell he had ever experienced before in his life. Morroc, as he had figured out where he was obviously now, since any place along the desert would have to be near Morroc, was a hive for merchants to sell exotic wares, sometimes unavailable in Prontera. Getting exotic herbs and spices was one of Morroc's speciality.

Getting up, he slowly strode to the door and opened it. It led him to another room, which looked like a living room. Everything here was furnished with simple furniture, all made of wood. He was in a very cramped place, the entire block consisting of three rooms, including his. In fact, it had about slightly more room than his hut, with the only difference was that there was no visible bathroom.

He had initially thought that the entire room was made out of stone, but upon closer inspection, it turned out that the room had been carved out from a stone wall, presumably a cave or very large boulder of some sort. It lead him to believe that he was somewhere underground, since Morroc did not have caves above ground, but sand tunnels below the desert.

Right in the middle of the room outside his room, a young girl was stirring what looked like a curry stew over a simple pot over a fire fixed up as a makeshift stove. She added a few pinches of what looked like spices, testing the stew once in a while, looking satisfied after Azaroth saw her make changes to the concentration of the stew four times.

" What's that you are making?" Azaroth asked.

His statement startled the young girl, making her jump slightly and dropping the ladle she had into the pot. She looked at him curiously , her eyes expressing fear and interest at the same time.

" Didn't mean to startle you…sorry," Azaroth apologised.

" Don't…it's alright," she replied quickly, now trying to regain her ladle with a spoon in the pot.

" Were you the one I saw when I first got up?" Azaroth asked. The girl replied by blushing crimson, trying not to look at him. Azaroth assume that meant as a yes, indirectly.

" Where are your manners? Introduce yourself," Grimjaw's harsh voice came in from behind Azaroth. Azaroth spun around to see Grimjaw walking up behind him, carrying a sack of objects.

" Oh, sorry…my name's Meillienne Windwalker. Nice to meet you, Sir Azaroth," she stammered, turning to face him and bowing slightly, but still not looking at him directly. Her face seemed to turn a deeper shade of red.

" Don't call me Sir. Azaroth is fine by me," Azaroth replied.

" You might want to thank her, Azy. It was she who fixed you up when I brought you here," Grimjaw replied.

Azaroth did not get what he meant initially, but them he realised that his wounds he had received last night had disappeared, obviously displayed as he was wearing a open leather jacket. His wounds had been sealed up, and there were very little bandages needed to patch him up. Certainly the work of Holy magic.

" Thank you, I'm most grateful," Azaroth beamed. Meillienne mumbled something inaudible, still blushing.

" Um, did I just say something embarrassing to her?" Azaroth asked Grimjaw, who felt that she was blushing more than anyone normally would under normal circumstances.

" Don't mind that. She takes a fancy into you, since we don't get much handsome visitors around here from foreign parts," Grimjaw replied.

" I do not!" she suddenly exclaimed.

" Oh? And will you swear to that?" Grimjaw asked in a teasing fashion. Meillienne was about to rebuke him, but she couldn't find the words to do so. She continued to stir the stew with the spoon with her retrieved ladle, now faster than ever.

" Never mind that. Let's eat," Grimjaw replied. Meillienne scooped up the thick, spicy stew and placed them in bowls, passing them to Grimjaw and Azaroth before getting one herself. Azaroth sniffed the curry, and it stung his nostrils, making his eyes water. However, he was undeterred, and he placed a mouthful of stew into his mouth, savouring the taste.

" How is it?' Meillienne asked tentatively.

" Besides being brilliantly hot, it's about as good as the stew I make," Azaroth replied. Meillienne's face fell, and Azaroth realised how bad that statement might have sounded, so he quickly added " That was meant as a compliment. I'm a pretty good cook myself!"

" Really? Where are you from?" Grimjaw asked.

" The outskirts of Prontera. I live by myself, so I cook for myself as well. Granted, I don't cook curries nor spicy food myself," Azaroth jovially replied.

" Hmm…I see. Care to tell me why you are here now?" Grimjaw asked.

Azaroth stopped eating for a while. It looks like Grimjaw is persistent for a reason, and from the looks he sounded serious. Azaroth debated whether he should tell him or not, glancing sideways from his bowl to the opposite side of the room.

" Some privacy please," Grimjaw said. Meillienne bowed and exited the room, closing herself inside the room Azaroth had came out from earlier.

" Is she your sister?" Azaroth asked.

" Indeed, she is, obvious from her surname. She's the only family I have left, and the only thing of any worth to me. I have nothing else besides her," Grimjaw replied, in a rather loving tone, quite different from the more harsher, casual voice he used upon her earlier.

" Why don't you leave this place with her? You don't seem to like it anyway," Azaroth replied. Grimjaw stared at him for a while, making Azaroth think he had said something wrong.

" My parents passed away a long time ago. They were originally slaves, but after gaining favour with the rogue they were serving under, they were granted freedom. Technically, they bought their freedom, as nothing comes free here in these parts. Our parents never wished for us to live here. My father planned to leave when we could. He could be a farmer for all he liked, as long as we were away from this place."

" Unfortunately, that was never to come to pass. They contracted an illness, and with the lack of any people in the knowledge of diseases in Morroc, they died. We were orphans since young. I was twelve, and Meillienne was still so small I could even cradle her in my arms."

" The fact is in Morroc, if you were an unaccepted child, with no parents or guardians, whether you come from here or somewhere else, there is one general rule about what will happen to you: if you were a male, you will be sold as a slave, and if you were a female, you would fetch a higher price, since there are some things that girls can provide which we can't."

" You can imagine the thought. Here we were, lost in this forsaken place, and she was about to be sold off to someone else to play with. I could not accept that. I could accept a life less than human, but I could not allow Meillienne to accept that life. I swore on my parents' grave that I'll do whatever I can in my power until she becomes an acolyte, at least."

" An acolyte?" Azaroth asked.

" Indeed, it has been her dream to join the church and serve the people. She has the heart, and the ability to do so, Azy. It's only a pity that she was born here, and not somewhere else."

" If she's not an acolyte, how did she…?"

" Azaroth, there is technically no need to attain the rank of an acolyte to learn healing spells. That can be learnt through experience, books and some creativity as well as ingenuity. I obtain, or stole, whatever books I could find upon the subject and got her reading it. She's a natural, all that from just books and no mentor. Sadly, there are limitations to what you can learn from a book, and what you can learn from a real person."

" You might ask a funny question as to why I have not left this place. It's because of the modes of transport. Crossing the desert is no easy matter, Azaroth, and even if I could, and I very well can, Meillienne cannot, not to mention she is defenceless, having no combat experience. We will need to either get a cart, through a merchant or hitching a ride, or get someone who can open warp portals. Priests are scarce here, and they charge exorbitant prices to open warp portals, and buying or obtaining a cart here is equivalent to getting out of Morroc. Some people will be most tempted to ambush you along the way."

" Then, there is the question on Meillienne. What do you think of her, Azy?" Grimjaw asked.

" What kind of question is that?" Azaroth spat.

" I meant, how she looks in your opinion?" he asked.

" Cute, young, pretty, fair…possibly because she doesn't go out in the sun much, average height, lovely, very polite and quiet. Wife material if you ask me honestly. I hope you don't take the wrong way…" Azaroth said, adding the last sentence as an afterthought.

" Indeed, and for such features, they are very prized in Morroc. Selling her here would fetch anywhere between 50,000 to 100,000 zenny. One person personally offered me 150,000 zenny for her. Naturally, I disembowelled him on the spot. It's kind of like a duty for me, protecting my sister. I just don't know whether she can accept a person with such bloodstained hands like me."

" So, here we are, bidding out time," Grimjaw answered.

" I'm sorry to hear that," Azaroth admitted.

" No, it doesn't matter. I should be thankful that you decided to listen. I must admit, you are the first person I had ever told this story to," Grimjaw replied, chuckling.

" Why is that?" Azaroth asked.

" Cause I think I just found the first person I can really trust," Grimjaw answered, breaking into a grin.

" Trust? You barely know me!" Azaroth exclaimed.

" It's a hazardous world in Morroc. There is a golden rule here: never really trust anyone, and frankly, I've lived by that rule. Unfortunately, that rule doesn't apply to you, since you are not from these parts," Grimjaw answered.

Azaroth finished his meal and placed the empty bowl down on the floor. " What do you mean by that?" he asked, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. Grimjaw did not seem to be bothered that Azaroth was dirtying his jacket.

" I need your help, if possible. And if you help me, I won't mind helping you out here in these parts," Grimjaw answered, grinning.

" I sense a deal coming. But anyway, what do you want with me?"

" Tell me your part on why you are here, then we can discuss further matters," Grimjaw answered.

" Fine," Azaroth replied, feeling he could at least trust this rogue. " I have been framed, by an unknown source, on the murder of the late Cardinal Crenarius. I have no idea who framed me, and I have no idea why, but now the Holy Order and the Army are probably actively hunting for my head. It was by a fluke that I made it out of jail and avoided all the guards before someone I know teleported me here, possibly to hide from the authorities, since the authority powers don't apply much here. That's basically what happened."

" So, what are you going to do here?" Grimjaw asked.

" Wait, you actually believe what I just said?" Azaroth asked.

Grimjaw shrugged his shoulders and snuffed out his finished cigarette on the stone floor. " One of the few good things of staying in this place for such a period of time had honed my six sense. I knew very well when someone is lying to me or not, and you were certainly not although there was a slight hint of you trying to make it sound incredulous," he answered.

" Sounds like you are reading my mind," Azaroth said, suddenly reminded of the person who set him free from the Pronteran prison.

" We have various methods of reading people's minds here in Morroc, typically using the end of the blade," Grimjaw replied, tapping one of the blades stuck to his jeans. Azaroth nodded, understanding what he meant.

" Fine, I don't mind letting you stay here, Azy. You don't look like a criminal, and I have no further reason to believe that you are one. So, on the condition that I allow you to hide in this place, I need you to perform two things for me: First, there are rules in this place, and to keep your hide, you will need to kill. So, if I ask you to, you will have to do it, no questions asked. Second, when the chance comes, I need you to help me take my sister out of this place. If you keep your word, I'm yours," Grimjaw stated.

Azaroth thought of the conditions carefully, then replied " For the first, I really have no qualms killing assassins and thieves. For the second, I'd gladly do it when I do get the chance."

Grimjaw broke into a wide grin, which made him look slightly maniacal, maybe due to long term exposure to Morroc's ways. He extended his hand towards Azaroth, saying " Excellent, let's shake on it." Azaroth gripped his hand firmly, feeling the powerful muscles tighten around his own.

" Now, we need to deal with some business stuff. Come along, we are going to meet the landlady of this place," Grimjaw said, getting up.

" Landlady?"

" I don't blame you if you are confused. As I mentioned, Morroc is no safe place for my sister. However, there is only one place that is a sanctuary to everyone, and by a sanctuary, I literally mean sanctuary," Grimjaw answered, taking off his vest, leaving only his ripped leather jacket on.

" There is only one place in all of Morroc where thieves can find safe haven. It's called the 'Dune'. This is the only place where rules exist, and the main one is no one is allowed to kill another while in the 'Dune'. This place was established by Tryhayren, a powerful and influential Stalker, who felt there must be a place where one can sit down quietly and talk to one another without having the risk of dying in the process. Here, anyone can stay and communicate without the need to kill one another. It's also a place for anyone running away from any of the assassin guilds or groups to seek safety."

" If you step a toe out of line, even by drawing your blade here, it would mean a swift, painful death. Tryhayren's word is rule here, and I must warn you not to step out of line," Grimjaw said.

" Let me guess: Tryhayren is the landlady," Azaroth replied, feeling that it was quite obvious.

" Exactly. Tryhayren was my parents' former master, and she was the only person I could actually seek refuge with. I came here almost immediately after our parents' death, begging her to allow us to stay here where it was safe for Meillienne, and all I offered was myself. Her charges were quite cheap in terms of Morrocan currency: follow her orders once in a while for the duration of our stay. As long as we are here, I'm quite bounded by her, but she reminds me that I'm quite free to go whenever I want."

" It was she who taught me how to be a rogue, and how to kill. In a way, she is my mentor, and I have to look up to her in a way," Grimjaw said.

" That's besides the point. She has allowed you to stay for a while, but her hospitality only extends to a certain extent. If you are to stay here, we need to pay for that, and for that, we need to strike a deal with her for you to stay here. Come, we need to make another deal, and if you come personally, I might be able to get some leverage in the deal," Grimjaw answered.

" Hang on, I can't go like this," Azaroth exclaimed. Grimjaw raised his eyebrows.

" The Holy Order is after me. Some assassins might spot me from all the news they are spreading, and frankly, I'm sure they won't mind turning me in," Azaroth replied.

" Point well taken. Here," Grimjaw said. He drew out a face mask that assassins usually wear, and wrapped it around Azaroth's face. Next, he took out a large bandana from a small box and tied it tightly around Azaroth's head, careful to push it as far as he could go without seriously impeding his sight. Grimjaw led Azaroth to a small basin of water to check out how he looked.

Except for his eyes, most of his face and hair was covered, and unless someone could actually recognise his eyes, he was quite safe. Besides, hazel coloured eyes were quite common, although possibly not in Morroc.

" Excellent," Grimjaw replied. He opened the front door of his abode and both of them stepped outside.

_Writer's note: There will be no update next week, since I'm busy with my exams, but I can promise a double post the following week...Sorry about that..._


	12. Chapter 11: Into Tryhayren's Dune

**Chapter 11: Into Tryhayren's Dune**

Azaroth followed Grimjaw down a series of narrow stairs and corridors, almost in the dark where barely any light was seen. The air also felt completely devoid of moisture, even though they were underground and there was no sunlight around. He had not drunk a glass of water yet, and after eating curry, it made his throat feel slightly parched.

After a while, they came to what looked like a wooden door fixed upon a stone wall. Grimjaw pushed against it and it opened. Walking through, Azaroth was almost dismayed to see that they were in an open area, still underground, with hundreds of paths leading in multiple directions. He heard Grimjaw close the door behind him, but now apparently, there was no door. All that was left was the smooth wall of stone.

" Don't be alarmed. The door is just disguised as part of the wall," Grimjaw said, seeing Azaroth's surprised looks.

" This place looks like a maze," Azaroth commented, his voice slightly muffled by his face mask.

" It needs to be. The Dune maybe a sanctuary, but if you are being hunted by assassins, even if you come to the Dune, they will still patiently wait for you at the entrance, and Tryhayren has a limits on how long you can stay. So, we have this convenient underground tunnel system. All directions lead to an exit, and with some help, you can later find yourself back in Morroc. Unless they post over hundred sentries at all the exits, there is not much chance of them finding the correct exit you will come out from," Grimjaw explained.

It did not take long for them to eventually reach their destination. Squeezing through several cracks in the walls, Azaroth ended up in a brightly lit area.

The place looked like a very luxurious tavern, where there were nicely polished tables and exotic music playing in the air. There was a very long bar, and Azaroth could see that behind the bar, it had shelves stacked to the top of the ceiling with all types of drinks. Some waiters, possibly slaves, were cleaning the glasses and serving people drinks. Azaroth also noted that the lights used to light the place were very ornamental oil lights, most of them made of crystals, throwing muticoloured light in all directions.

All over the place at almost all the tables, a wide variety of thieves, assassins and rogues, including a few merchants and one or two assassin cross and stalkers, were chatting among themselves, drinking who knows what from their cups or goblets. Some were ogling at the female staff serving them drinks, and a select few even touched them in their rear ends. The female staff members, however, did nothing and said nothing about it.

As soon as Grimjaw entered, some of them turned to look at him for a while, glaring or merely looking at him for a second before returning back to their drinks or conversation. He boldly led Azaroth towards the opposite side of the tavern, where two surly looking assassins were standing by the door.

" I'm here to see Tryhayren," Grimjaw said. One of them pointed at Azaroth and raised his eyebrows.

" Relax, I brought him here to see her," Grimjaw replied. The other glanced at his partner, then nodded his head. He unlocked the door and opened it wide, allowing Azaroth and Grimjaw to enter.

The room led into to another very large and expensively decorated room. There were trophies of multiple kinds all over the place: a large stuffed wolf, pieces of exotic armour and a lot of jewelry. There was a smell of perfume in the air which was slightly intoxicating, making Azaroth feel very light headed.

There were several people standing around at the end of the room, surrounding someone in the middle. The lady in the middle glance coyly at them, saying " My, your sister did treat him well. He looks marvelous now."

Tryhayren was, to Azaroth's surprise, quite young, possibly only in her late twenties and definitely not past her thirties. She had slightly dark skin and luxurious long black hair, tied into a pony tail behind her back. She was dressed in a thin vest and shorts, exposing much of her skin which Azaroth could not help but notice. She was apparently barefooted. She had a very sensual air about her, and a very carefree attitude which Azaroth could relate easily to. It was not very obvious, but he knew somehow that she was carefully observing him, as if trying to see if he was of some value in some way.

" Grimjaw, how good to see you," Tryhayren replied in a, surprisingly, mildly affectionate voice. She then started waving towards someone who looked like a slave, saying " Where are your manners? Get Grimjaw some refreshments, and something for his friend here as well." The girl bowed, leaving the place through a curtained area.

" There is no need for this hospitality," Grimjaw groaned.

" I insist," Tryhayren replied. She snapped her fingers together, and immediately, two rather finely made chairs appeared right behind Azaroth and Grimjaw. Probably used to her behavior, Grimjaw sat down the instant the chairs were behind him, but it took Azaroth a few seconds to realise the chairs were there for him to sit on.

As soon as he sat down, the girl Tryhayren sent to get refreshments came back, carrying a tray of drinks. She laid a goblet down in front of Grimjaw, knowing what his preference was already, while she held out the tray for Azaroth to pick from a variety of drinks on the tray. He randomly took a drink, wondering how he was going to drink it with his mask on.

" So, why are you here?" Tryhayren asked.

" I have a request to make from you," Grimjaw replied. Tryhayren raised her eyebrows, leaning back on her chair and looking curiously at him.

" My friend would like to stay here in the Dune, and I can house him under where I live. We are not too sure how long he has to stay, but he will need to stay for sometime, and I was hoping you would allow him to stay here. He can feed of what I find, and I assure you he will be of no trouble at all," Grimjaw replied.

" Oh, and why are you letting him stick around?" Tryhayren asked coyly.

" He is in need of shelter, and I will need his assistance. After all, your last request isn't that easy to accomplish alone, you know," Grimjaw replied, growling slightly.

" Well, I figured you were competent enough to handle it yourself. Besides, if you need help, he technically doesn't need to stay here, and for shelter, there are enough places to stay around Morroc, no matter how inhospitable this place is," Tryhayren answered.

" Don't play with me, Tryhayren. You know very well the reason why he can only stay here," Grimjaw snapped back.

Tryhayren then leaned forward, looking at Azaroth straight in the eye, asking " If I do not allow him to stay here, what will you two do?"

Grimjaw shrugged, trying to keep calm. " Nothing, he will just have to leave. We won't argue with that," he answered.

Tryhayren then gazed at him, as if trying to read Azaroth's mind. Azaroth stared back at her without flinching, although he felt rather uneasy about it. He tried not to look too provocative, but at the same time he tried his best not too look like he could be intimidated easily.

" I take he is not from these parts," Tryhayren replied after a while.

" Payon," Azaroth answered in a deep voice. Grimjaw looked at him, giving a subtle look of surprise, either on the part of answering for himself or telling a lie.

" Really? Surprising...you don't feel like a Payonese to me," Tryhayren replied.

" Technically, I live at the outskirts way north of Payon. I'm more of a Pronteran at heart, but the place where I stay is legally under Payon," Azaroth said. He needed to inform her that he was from Prontera, yet not give an exact location to where he actually stayed.

" Interesting...and what is your class?"

" Granted, I'd be a knight," Azaroth answered.

" Interesting...how about a display of skill?" Tryhayren asked.

Before Azaroth could answer, the door of the room parted and several people came in. A young girl, accompanied by a friend by her side, was followed by a burly looking rogue. The girl in front ran up to Tryhayren and hugged her lovingly, in which Tryhayren replied in kind.

" How's mommy's little darling?" Tryhayren asked. Azaroth raised his eyebrows in surprise. He could hardly believe that a stalker such as her could be a mother.

" Good!" she said. Then, turning to Grimjaw, she said " Hey, Grimjaw, can you take me around Morroc and show me your skills?"

Azaroth glanced at Grimjaw, who merely sighed, not because he did not like the girl, but she would probably be bothersome. She gave them a winsome smile, unlike the sly one her mother usually used. The only similarities they shared were their eyes. Besides, that, the girl totally looked different, in terms of facial features, from her mother.

" Now, now, honey, Grimjaw is busy. He will take you some other time when he has the time," Tryhayren said. Her daughter nodded and seemed content with her mother's reply. She turned to the unknown mask man in the room, Azaroth, and looked at him quizzically.

" Who is he, mommy?" she asked. " Is he a client?"

" Yes, in a way," Tryhayren replied.

" What does he want?"

" He wants to stay here,"

" Can he?" her daughter asked in almost a pleading fashion.

" You want him to stay?" Tryhayren asked, raising her eyebrows.

" Well, if he is interesting enough," her daughter replied. The young girl got up from her mother's lap and walked next to where Azaroth was sitting, digging into her pockets. She then procured a green leaf, which Azaroth was amazed that she could find something of that sort in the desert, and then replied " Cut this leaf in three and you can stay," before tossing up the leaf at about Azaroth's face level.

Her instructions were vague, but Azaroth got the gist. In an instant, he got up and kicked his chair back to gain some space. His hands flew to the hilt of his swords, and in a flash, brought both of them out in two slashing arcs, as if he wanted to rip a person's torso into two. The leaf fell on the floor, cut up not in three but in four pieces, Azaroth having executed a cross slash.

The girl clapped her hands gleefully, thoroughly entertained, as with her other quiet friend who had tagged along. Most of the guards in the room were dully impressed, gazing at the pieces of leaves and nodding their heads slightly, but Azaroth had also noticed that their hands had casually moved to the hilt of their blades.

" He's awesome, mommy. Can we keep him?" the girl asked. It felt to Azaroth the girl wanted to keep him as a pet.

" Well, if you say so," Tryhayren said. " Very well, he can stay, on the condition that I have a 'private' talk with him."

The instant she said private, all her guards moved out of the room immediately, including Grimjaw, who lead her daughter and her friend away from the room. Azaroth was slightly scared now, being left alone in a room, though brightly lit, with a lady. Tryhayren did not say anything for a while, even after her servants had long left.

" Now, what is your name?" Tryhayren asked finally.

" Roth," Azaroth quickly replied.

" Your real name," Tryhayren repeated.

" Zackron," Azaroth answered again.

" I'm sorry my dear, I'm not making myself clear here. I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you are going to answer them, truthfully. If I am not satisfied with your answer, I will kill you here and now," she said. There was no malice in her voice, but there was a serious tone in her sentence, showing that she would carry out her threat. " Now, let's start over: What is your name?"

Azaroth was reminded of Grimjaw mentioning that he was able to sense whether someone is lying to him or not. Could it also apply to other people? After all, if she was his mentor, she would have to be better than him. Tryhayren looked at him patiently, waiting for Azaroth to finally make up his mind.

" Azaroth…Azaroth Crimson," Azaroth finally replied, deciding not to risk it and even giving his name in full.

" Ah, wasn't too hard was it? Must be difficult to adjust to the Morrocan ways in such a short period of time, but one must if one is to survive here," She replied. And to add injury to the insult of her learning his name, she added " And to tell you the truth, unlike Grimjaw, I do not have his ability to read truths."

Azaroth winced.

" Hahaha, don't think of it too much, I needed to know your name anyway. Azaroth, running away from murder charges of a certain Cardinal. Yes, news of such impact will travel fast, and you might find some people here congratulating you on such a feat before wanting to take your head and sell it to the church," Tryhayren replied. Azaroth did not know whether to take it as a joke, a compliment or as a warning.

" Quiet, aren't you? Well, naturally, you will act as such. Fine, as long as you live under Grimjaw and feed off him, I have no say in keeping you here any longer. You can leave," Tryhayren replied. Azaroth wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but withheld it for somewhere more suitable.

-

" So, can he stay?" was the first thing Meillienne asked as soon as she saw both of them enter their home.

" Yeah, Tryhayren said yes. Why are you so happy about it?" Grimjaw asked, seeing Meillienne's beaming face as she heard the answer.

" Nothing specifically," she replied, skipping away.

" I still stick by my theory that she likes you," Grimjaw sighed, walking in. Azaroth merely shrugged, although he couldn't suppress the grin on his face.

" Well, that went better than I expected," Azaroth sighed, sitting down.

" Maybe Meillienne isn't the only female here that fancies you," Grimjaw replied, grinning even more broadly now.

" Oh, before I forget, what was it that you need help from me with?" Azaroth asked.

" That…well, are you up to it?" Grimjaw asked.

" Maybe," Azaroth answered.

Grimjaw sat down on the hard floor next to Azaroth, still smoking on his cigarette. He had offered a cigarette to Azaroth, but he refused, not into the idea of polluting his lungs with smoke for a few minutes of kicks. Grimjaw apparently smokes a lot, and apparently this was quite a habit in Morroc. Almost everyone smoked, probably since they embraced the idea that in Morroc, your life expectancy won't reach till a stage when the effects of smoking kick in.

" Alright, Tryhayren had asked me to take out a group of assassin, called the 'Twilight Group'. They are expert assassins, and their level of skill is roughly slightly lower than mine, but since it will be only me against a few of them, things won't look very pretty for me when it gets really ugly. So, since I've seen your combat abilities, albeit for a very short while, I'm confident both of us can hold our ground against them. Up to it?" Grimjaw asked.

" Whether I'm up to it or not, that does not matter. I still need to pay the rent anyway," Azaroth replied.

Grimjaw laughed, and then got up. " Come on, I'll show you around the desert city," he said.

-

Morroc was not too far away from the 'Dune', just about several hundred meters away from the city, which were pretty short for Azaroth's standards. The entrance, or exit, from the 'Dune', was an opening of an underground cave, visible to all. There was barely any wind, which he was quite grateful for, since he didn't fancy sand being blown into his eyes. The sun was burning down on him, and unused to the heat, started to sweat profoundly, especially with the two extra pieces of clothing and cloth used to keep the sun away from his skin.

Morroc was just as Azaroth thought he would see: houses made from sand, stalls and small buildings located all around, with a whole load of people, ranging from all classes and a variety of looks, walk around the place. He could see a lot of people, merchants especially, selling stuff, half of them illegal.

" Well, that's Morroc for you. If it's illegal, it's here," Grimjaw replied.

If there was one thing very different was that there seemed to be a lack of children. You could see small little bodies bobbling along in the streets of other cities. Here, that did not seem to be the case. Possibly due to the fact that crime is high and children are easy targets.

Morroc was not a pretty sight. There was such a high concentration of dangerous looking and probably criminal people around here. There were no such things as poor people or beggars here, since if you were, you would be a slave by now.

Azaroth caught a pitiful sight of a merchant proudly displaying a whole group of children, tied to chains around their necks to prevent them from running away. Also there was a young female acolyte, sharing the same fate as the young children. All of them looked sadly around, not too sure on their fate. One of them looked at Azaroth, and he could clearly see terror his face.

" Would you like to buy one of them?" the fat, burly merchant asked pompously, making Azaroth feel even more disgusted at the vile man.

" That's life here, Azaroth. We can't do anything to help them, unless we want to attract attention to ourselves," Grimjaw replied.

" Haven't you even considered…"

" If you want to question my morals, don't. Even if I did help, how am I going to get them out of here? We need some mode of transport, and there are only 2: a caravan or a warp portal, both would be unavailable if you are a not a priest, monk or a merchant," Grimjaw replied.

However, Azaroth's mind was fixed upon an idea. He looked at the children, then the burly merchant who was still smiling at him, then into the tent the man had set up. He then broke into a grin.

" Grimjaw, you said that the merchants move using caravans, but you also said earlier that thieves would attack any caravans leaving. So, why do the merchants leave unharmed?" Azaroth asked.

" Well, the thieves here don't usually hurt the merchants, since they usually bring in useful goods for the thieves, so killing the merchant would cut off future supplies, so they leave known merchant caravans alone," Grimjaw answered. Azaroth was about to reply something when he saw the Grimjaw broke into one of his maniacal grins. " You know what, that's an interesting idea you have there…" he said.

" Idea?" Azaroth asked, surprised Grimjaw had hit upon something he was thinking about.

" It involves a caravan and a dead merchant," Grimjaw answered.

" You catch on fast," Azaroth said, walking towards the merchant.

" Great sir. Do any of my wares attract any of your interest?" the merchant asked, seeing Azaroth and Grimjaw walking towards his tent, greedy for a deal.

" In fact, all of them do. I'm interested in buying all of them actually, and if possible, for a discount," Azaroth replied. " How about we discuss the price, eh?"

" But of course. How about coming into my tent?" the merchant asked. Azaroth and Grimjaw grinned to each other, knowing that they had hit the target. They slowly followed the merchant into his large tent. He had set the tent around his caravan, which was attached to two Peco Pecos and a few crates lay around the place. As soon as they were inside, the merchant turned around to talk, but was totally surprised when Azaroth grabbed him from behind and clamped his mouth shut.

" Selling kids as slaves? You despicable piece of shit!" Azaroth growled as Grimjaw promptly disemboweled him painfully before he had the chance to resist. Spilling his guts on the sandy floor, the merchant fell down, bleeding to death. Azaroth felt rather surprised at how little remorse he felt for the man, partially due to the fact that he could care less about people in Morroc and partially because he was frustrated at the moment with the framing of the crime he did not commit.

Azaroth went out to call in the children. They shuffled in, along with the acolyte, looking terrified as if Azaroth was about to eat them. However, they all stopped and stared at the dead body of the merchant lying in the middle of the tent. They stayed silent for a while, not too sure what to make of this.

One young boy piped up " Um, why did you kill him?"

" That's because I'm setting all of you free," Azaroth said. Some looked at him incredulously, while others were already beaming before he even said those words.

" Why?" another asked.

" Because you all don't deserve to be here," Azaroth replied knowingly.

But another piped up " But how are we going to leave?"

" Right, there is where I need to explain things. You!"

" Me?" the acolyte asked, pointing to herself.

" Yes, you. Since you are the eldest here, you will need to lead them out. Here," Azaroth said, taking the merchants clothing and wrapping it around her. " Wear that, and stuff a few more clothes into your belly to make you look like his size. Try to cover yourself so you won't expose yourself too much to others. You'll have to pretend to be the merchant here. If you keep yourself covered, nobody will be the wiser. Do you know how to ride this caravan?"

" Yes…"

" Can you navigate yourself out of this place?"

" I can find my way to Prontera, if that is what you are asking…"

" Can't ask for anything better. Now, for the rest of you, you'll need to dismantle the tent. Do you know how to do that?" Azaroth asked.

" Yes," they replied in unison. Azaroth raised his eyebrows in surprise.

" That guy you snuffed used to make us set it up for him. I've set it up for him three times already," one boy answered.

" Excellent. Now, all of you dismantle the tent and pack yourselves inside the caravan. It will look like the merchant was done here and is leaving. If everything goes well, you'll be able to leave without any problems," Azaroth said.

As soon as he was done, all the children ran up to him and gave him a large group hug. He had to practically pry them apart to leave. He also spotted Grimjaw jumping off the caravan. " I need to pack the body inside. It would cause questions if they found the body here, and it will be difficult to hide it."

" Good point, but what about the blood?"

" We can cover that up with sand."

" Ahh…"

Azaroth and Grimjaw left the tent shortly to allow the freed children to fix their escape. They could not hang around for too long since Grimjaw said it would look too suspicious to other people, and although Azaroth was reluctant to leave them by themselves, he had to agree with what Grimjaw had said.

Azaroth noted that Grimjaw did not have any specks of blood on him, even though he had disemboweled the man in such a fashion. " It would look too suspicious, wouldn't it?" Grimjaw replied when Azaroth notified him about it.

So, leaving the place, Grimjaw guided him around Morroc, visiting a few taverns and shops, before rounding back to where the merchant's tent was placed. They were glad to see that it was now gone, and a familiar caravan was moving past them.

The driver, a fat, hooded figure, waved his or her hand towards Azaroth and Grimjaw, bowing in gratitude. Azaroth merely winked at them.

" You know, come to think of it, why don't you escape along with your sister in such a fashion?" Azaroth asked.

" It's not possible, Azaroth. People would know we were missing after meeting a merchant. They were able to escape because it just looked like the merchant was leaving with his wares. It may not look like that, but assassins and rogues are on of the most observant people here, and if someone goes missing, they will know. It's feasible, but not possible. They might not notice it, but it is too much of a risk for me to take for my sister," Grimjaw answered.

Azaroth stopped himself, and the both of them walked back to the 'Dune' silently. Just as they reached back to where they stayed, Grimjaw broke the silence.

" It's unnatural," Grimjaw replied, as soon as the caravan was out of the way.

" What is?"

" Your nature. Why help them?"

" Why shouldn't I?"

" Risking yourself, especially when you are in enough trouble already."

" I don't know…it makes me feel better, I guess…"

" Are you trying to atone for something?"

" No, it's just my nature…"

Grimjaw gave a chuckle. " I thought only people from the church ever gave a damn about other human beings," he said.

He saw Azaroth thinking for a while, then replying seriously " Well, if that was true, what does that make you?"

" Nothing much," Grimjaw answered.

" You have more morals than some people in the church, and Grimjaw, that's true," Azaroth answered.

_Writer's note: Back from the exams!_

_I've been making Morroc more of a very seedy, criminal city than what was originally shown in the game, but since I though if it was the city of thieves, shouldn't it be seedy looking? Anyway, Morroc is possible more violent than the game depicts it to be. _


	13. Chapter 12: Aftermath of the Escape

**Chapter 12: Aftermath of the Escape**

Teranis sat around in the small but well furnished room of her friend, Selene. She was apparently unavailable at the moment, attending one of the meetings that were going on due to some rogue who had somehow managed to break out of prison, apparently using magic since he had no tools with him and his jail door just opened by himself, and escape from Prontera. An actives search is still going on just in case that he was apparently hiding in Prontera, but many people had somehow decided he had left, possibly with outside help.

Teranis tried to keep her mind of things by looking around Selene's room. She had, in fact, never been in her room before, this being a first. The neatly tidied bed and bookshelves were messages that indicated what the owner's attitude was like: straight, meticulous and tidy. Nothing seemed out of place, just like the owner.

The door creaked open and Teranis looked around. Selene, looking flustered, came in. She smiled warmly as soon as she saw her friend, but she was visibly tired. Teranis waited patiently for Selene to get herself some tea, sit down, and drink it before even starting to ask anything.

" Bad day?" Teranis asked.

" More like a bad week," Selene answered, sipping the tea quietly.

" Well, what's the big problem? The escaped prisoner?" Teranis laughed.

" Exactly…how did you know?" Selene asked, surprised.

Teranis stopped short, not believing herself. " Um, that was meant as a joke…you can't seriously tell me there is some story behind why this bloke escaped," she replied.

" Indeed, there is, Teranis. I hope you can spare me some time. I need to explain everything," Selene replied. And so, she started talking about all the events that have been accumulated so far, from the time the Cardinals and the High Priests gave her the job, until Azaroth being put in prison. Teranis listened quietly, absorbing all the information, until Selene explained the part where she was the one who teleported Azaroth out of the city walls, in which Teranis jumped out and shouted something.

" Um, is everything okay?" an acolyte asked, looking inside Selene's room as he was passing outside.

" Nothing…just saw a cockroach…" Teranis replied quickly. The acolyte looked at her in a puzzling manner, then shrugged his shoulders and promptly left.

" Lower your voice…the walls have ears, you know," Selene replied when the acolyte left.

" You helped him escape?!" Teranis fumed.

" Yes…"

" Why?!"

" I figured someone with your brains would have figured it out by now," Selene replied.

" You can't be serious…" Teranis sighed.

" Teranis," Selene said, standing up " I'm about as serious as I'll ever be when I took an oath to become a Priestess. Azaroth was being punished for a serious crime he did not commit, and I feel that there are sinister forces behind all this. And as member of the Holy Order, I'm compelled to find out the struth behind all these lies and conspiracies. I hate to admit it, but I believe people in the Holy Order are orchestrating what is going on right now. I know nothing of their motive, nor do I know their future plans, but I will not allow myself to sit here while until they start to bear fruit." She said those words commandingly, with such vigour and force she sounded like an army officer.

Teranis looked at her serenely, then leaned back onto her chair lazily, sipping the small bottle of wine she had brought. " Go figure, I guess you are serious. So, I take your word. What are we going to do now?" she asked.

Selene's face brightened up as soon as she saw that Teranis was willing to help her. " That was for you to answer. That's why I called you here," she said.

" What would you do without me?" Teranis sighed. " Alright then, first of all, I need some back story about our friend Azaroth here. From the looks of it, it seems like the Pronteran library has kept some interesting tabs on him, but I'll go check his home village for any further information. Next, we need to investigate the scene of the crime, and we need to do so quickly. Since now that Azaroth's guilt is almost certain, in the eyes of the church, there will be no need to leave the Cardinal's room as it is. They will be cleaning it soon, and we will need to check it out before they do that. We have to do it tonight. Tomorrow morning might already be too late."

" Furthermore, you mentioned that Azaroth was accompanied with a couple of his friends. It might be useful to find them as well. If you have any information on them, get to them. You mentioned this monk named Vermillion. Tell some of your acolytes that if they see her around, notify you immediately."

" The outer villages are temporarily off limits," Selene answered.

" You mean due to the undead attack. Well, we can question any villagers who have come here, but we might need to head out there just to check and see if there is anything we can find that would be useful," Teranis answered.

" What should we do now?" Selene asked.

" Is there anyone else we can trust?" Teranis asked.

" What do you mean?"

" Obviously, with just us two, it's going to be a pretty tedious and slow process. The more the merrier, as I always say. However, we need to be sure of the people we can trust. If you say that there are people out there planning all this, then they are sure to have people within these walls," Teranis explained.

" It will be you and me for now," Selene answered. Teranis merely shrugged.

" Anyway, I need you to get as much information about Azaroth. Any sort of information. Army Records, stuff in the library, the church. Any info will do. When night comes, we'll sneak in the cardinal's room."

---

" He's nowhere to be found. They say that someone warped him out of here. There is absolutely no trace of him around here at all. Strange really, who would help him?" Serene asked. Vermillion was pacing around the room in the inn they were staying in furiously, her footsteps pounding hard on the wooden floor.

" Curious, really. If he did escape from the city in such a manner, that would mean someone from the church warped him away," Tryzen said. Looking at Vermillion, he asked " Do you know if Azaroth knows anybody else besides you who is from the church?"

" Not that I know of," Vermillion mused, still pacing.

Although the thought that Azaroth was not captured by the army was comforting, it did not ease their anxiety by trying to figure out how he suddenly managed to disappear into thin air. It had reached the next morning, but they were getting more and more worried about the affairs.

" Let's assume that he did escape. Who helped him? Unless you two are not telling me something..." Tryzen asked, raising his eyebrows. Vermillion shot him a look to tell him she was not amused with his theatrics.

" Selene," Serene suggested.

" …Is that the priest that came along with both of you?" Tryzen asked.

" Yes."

" Why would she have any reason to help him?" Vermillion demanded.

" You don't think very deeply, do you? We saved her life, and this includes Azaroth. If there is a chance somebody in the capital helped him, my bet is her. She didn't seem to be the type to go against something like this. My guess is that she figures there is something fishy here already," Serene answered.

" We'll figure this out later. First of all, we need to consider what are we going to do now? Since Azaroth has conveniently escaped, he has allowed us the ability to do some investigation work around here since we have not compromised our position yet," Tryzen explained. Both of them listened carefully.

" Where should we start?" Vermillion asked.

" The church, obviously."

" Why?"

" The main cause of all this came originally from the church. We need to find out why the Cardinals said that Azaroth committed the crime. Basically, it boils down to them. It may not be their fault, but they are the ones who were convinced Azaroth murdered the cardinal. We need to find out why, and if it was not them, then we need to find out who has influenced them," Tryzen explained.

" How do you propose we start?" Vermillion asked.

" We could first visit the crime scene," Tryzen answered seriously.

" Have you lost your mind?!" Vermillion yelled loudly, her voice reverberating all over the room. " Who do you propose we do that? We simply waltz into the crime scene and what, pretend we are part of the furniture? You crazy nut! There will be guards all over the place, and we have no bloody authority to go in!"

Tryzen stayed silent for a while when he heard Vermillion's remark. It took him a minute later to say " I didn't know you could waltz, V."

" Stop playing with me…" Vermillion growled, her curled up fist shaking in front of Tryzen's face. He looked rather unperturbed though, as he moved her hand aside.

" Why? I could use the entertainment," Tryzen laughed. " Besides, you have any better ideas?"

Vermillion grunted, folding her hands and started to pace around the room again, her footsteps hitting the floorboards even harder now. Tryzen drew out a blank piece of parchment from his equipment bag he brought along. Using a small piece of chalk, he started to draw a simple diagram, which turned out to be rather complex, of the monastery where the cardinals stayed.

" Now, the cardinal stayed at the top floor, right here," Tryzen said, circling a crudely drawn room on is map. " This makes things easier, since this would be a place where you stay. All we need is to wait till night arrives, then from your room, head out towards the cardinals live. That's about five extra storeys and two blocks away."

" What if they placed something to guard the place at night? I'm sure there must be some curious fellow who just has the urge to enter the room just for kicks. How do we get in?" Serene asked.

" That would be a problem if we were going through the front door," Tryzen said.

" I'm under the assumption that it will not be the case," Serene answered, sighing.

---

Melanie sat on her desk in her office. The officers bunkers were much better equipped, and there was much more furniture around that she remembered the last time she entered.

Most of the commanding officers had a small, but private office nonetheless. Her quarters were located next to her barracks, close to where she lived. Since the commanding officers usually had to do much administrative and paperwork, she had her own desk to put all the paper and documents she will need to sort and deal with later. Paperwork was one of the downsides of being a commanding officer, but with the nice office and the ability to pull rank on others, it was quite well worth it.

However, Melanie was not relaxing now. She would have chosen the mess hall, a more comfortable place to hang about, talk and drink with others from her unit. She was not doing any administrative work however, as she had done that all in the morning.

She was here to contemplate on things. She sat on her cushioned chair, her legs placed up on her table in a very tomboyish fashion, looking at her shield that she had placed on the table.

It bore the marks of her fight with Azaroth. The cross slash that he had executed had made it's make in the form of a dent on her shield. Members of her platoon had suggested to her to get her equipment fixed by Dirk, but somehow, strangely, she refused. Instead, she kept it in her office to steal looks at it once in a while.

Melanie had already figured out that Azaroth had executed a flying slash last night. No magic was involved, she reminded herself. Only pure usage of the skills of the sword. So, it puzzled her at how he could execute it.

Flying slashed were much of a legend. Always dreamed by knights who hoped to build some range into their attacks when using a sword. Indeed, it was technically possible, but even for recorded attempts, flying slashes were executed with a lot of help from mages and wizards. No swordsman could execute it himself. But, would that mean what she experienced last night was false?

She looked at the shield again. Immense damage had been done, from the looks of the dents. She asked herself the question again: why didn't he aim for some other body part of hers but her shield instead? Nobody in a fight would strike a shield unless that person knows he or she could gain an advantage by such an act or that fighter was an amateur.

Azaroth was no amateur. In fact, his skills were surprisingly very good, better than most of the knights they had in the army. It came to no surprise to her that he managed to hold them off so long after such a long time. So, if he had the ability to fight so valiantly, why didn't he aim for her weak spots, but her shield, a place of the highest defence?

' "He's innocent…"' she could hear Selene's voice repeat itself in her head.

Was she right? Was all this just some frame-up? Most certainly, the trial seemed different, but maybe that was caused by being a first case of a cardinal. Was she being paranoid, or just thinking too much?

" Captain!"

" Huh?!" Melanie exclaimed.

Maycron, an acolyte under her command, came in her office, looking a bit flustered. It looked like he had been doing some running around from the way he was breathing. He took one look around his commanding officer's room, out of habit whenever he entered, before continuing.

" Aren't you suppose to be leading us to an investigation of the outer villages?" he asked.

Melanie almost forgot she was to take her platoon to the outer villages to check on Selene's claim about undead problems. After all, she had accepted the job as a request from Selene.

Sighing, she waved her hand, indicating she will be coming. Maycron left, and Melanie got up to suit up in her armour. She picked up her dented shield the last, leaving the room, her greaves echoing clanking sounds all the way down the corridor outside.

---

Night had fallen over the entire place, and darkness surrounded Prontera once again. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Not yet.

At one of the open windows at the monastery, there was a lone candle shining dimly in the dark. It fluttered slightly, then at the strike of midnight church clock, it went out, surrounding the room in darkness. However, there was a bustling of activity in the room.

" Shut up, V. You are making to much noise…Ow! Don't step on my foot, moron!" Tryzen's voice could be heard directly outside the window.

It was another few minutes before the door of Vermillion Striker's room opened, and three shadowy figures emerged from the room, silently closing the door once they were out. The place was totally dark, with the exception of a few lanterns that were floating around, illuminating the priest or monks face of whom were carrying the lantern. The death of Cardinal Crenarius was more of a reason for them to patrol the dark corridors of the place, doubling the usual watch.

Tryzen took a look around, giving a quick cursory glance around the place, and made a quick mental calculation in his head. Then, he turned to Vermillion and said " I told you it would be stupid to attempt it in such a way. There are way too many of them around. We would be caught by one of them by the time we move through three storeys."

" Vermillion's on you right," Serene corrected him.

" Oh, don't correct me on technicality," Tryzen groaned, opening the door of Vermillion's room once again and entering it. The two females followed him along.

" You have got to be kidding me? You want to scale the walls?!" Vermillion asked, as Tryzen immediately leaned out the window, looking up and observing the cracks he could use as a hold when he climbed up.

Tryzen looked back at her, looking perplexed. " I figured a tomboy like you would know how to do some rock climbing," he replied, scaling out the window, unperturbed by the consequences.

Vermillion ran out and leaned her head out of her window. She saw Tryzen right beside her, placing his legs in one of the cracks and pulling himself up.

" I could scale the castle walls blindfolded, and Serene has been an elf long enough to know how to climb trees within seconds. It's you I'm worried about, moron!" Vermillion hissed.

" Am I complaining?" Tryzen asked, climbing higher, although with some difficulty.

" If he is not complaining, then we should not worry about him then," Serene told Vermillion, squeezing out the window and quickly hoisting herself up the walls.

" If you fall, it won't my fault," Vermillion muttered to herself.

The three of them scaled the walls quietly. It was not brightly lit, so the chance of them being spotted in the middle of the night was very low, unless someone decided to shoot a flare right in their direction. However, the night was pretty cold, and by the time they reached the third storey, their fingers were slightly numb, both from climbing and from the cold.

Vermillion, being the swiftest climber, lifted herself into the Cardinal's room's open window. The entire room was surrounded in darkness, and she tried to find her bearings by slowly moving around, hoping her eyes would quickly adjust to the darkness. The room felt silent, like death.

Serene came in the second, and lifted herself inside with ease. Vermillion lighted a small light in the palm of her hand with her Holy magic, giving enough light to illuminate the room, yet not to attract any attention from the outside. However, as Tryzen hauled himself up to the level of the window, Serene felt her ears prick in a funny way. Alarmed, she felt something coming.

" Something's coming!' she hissed, surprising both Tryzen and Vermillion.

No sooner than she had said those words, a pillar of light appeared all of a sudden in the middle of the room. Someone was coming.

" Hide!" Tryzen hissed, but they did not needed to be told. Vermillion bolted to the door, being the closest to it, and threw herself outside immediately and closing it just about as fast. Seeing no visible hiding spots, Serene leaped up to the ceiling and wedged herself between two wooden beams, which creaked slightly as she applied some strain to maintain herself on the ceiling. Tryzen hung at the window for a second, but immediately let go as soon as he saw an appearance of a body come from the warp portal.

Gravity immediately took effect, and he felt the cold wind blow against his body from below. Calmly, he reached into his pocket and drew out a small object. As soon as he was about it hit the ground, he crushed the object to bits.

He felt the area around him give way, then warped back around him again. He felt himself land on the hard solid ground, but fortunately, he used a butterfly wing to warp him back into Vermillion's room.

As he picked himself up, he wondered who would be coming into the room at such a time.


	14. Chapter 13: Other Allies

**Chapter 13: Other Allies**

" Quite bold, aren't we?" Teranis asked as she stepped out of the warp portal after Selene. Selene took a quick glance around Cardinal Crenarius's former room under the absence of light, before turning around and merely shrugging at her friend.

" I'm surprised you have set a warp point here," Teranis replied.

" We needed to come here. I came by in the morning quickly to set my warp point to this area so that we can come in here. Granted, the authorities didn't stop me from entering the place, so I had no trouble coming here for a quick peek in the morning," Selene answered.

" Yeah, I know of your influence on people," Teranis replied. " Explains why I'm here."

Channeling her energies to her palm, Selene set the dark room to a soft glow of white light from her hand. The Cardinal's room looked like basically like all the other Cardinals' rooms: well-done, nicely furnished with slightly more expensive furniture and multiple artifacts lined up upon shelves. These were some of the perks on being a cardinal.

The light then shone on the area of where the crime was committed, just as she had seen in the morning. As she moved her hand over an area, the light started to show dried up blood, splattered over the place in a dark red colour. Teranis came over to take a look at what Selene was looking at.

The bed was in a bloody mess, blanketed by a layer of blood. However, the blood spots did not stop there. In fact, it looked like whoever killed the cardinal took his or her time in painting the entire area red. The nearby floor, ceiling, desk and shelf was totally covered in blood, as if the cardinal's body was milked dry and his blood was thrown all over the place. The place had a stench now, but neither of them was complaining about it.

" All this blood looks like his total blood supply. Whoever did this must have had some fun and was some hell of a sadistic bastard," Teranis noted.

" I know," Selene replied calmly, despite the violent scene. " Can you check it out?"

Teranis nodded. Selene held her palm over Teranis's head as she bent down next to the bed and started doing some investigation of her own. She started looking at the blood spots carefully, observing all the spots and splatters of gore. She took careful note of the bed especially, making careful observations to the stains. Selene waited patiently for a while.

" I can tell you a few things from what I can see," Teranis said. " He's been dead for less than a week. From the marks I can see from the bed, he was stabbed to death initially. You can see two blade marks on the bed, presumably swords or very large daggers. Apparently, he bled to death, as there is a large collection of blood collected here in the middle, where the assailant stabbed him and waited for him to die."

" Next, he was ripped to shreds, presumably with the blades, and body pieces were thrown all over the place. How was the body found?" Teranis asked.

" He was found disembowelled, and cut into several pieces. The largest bit of him we could find was a piece of his chest the size of my fist. The rest were in shreds: organs, bones, his brains," Selene answered.

" I see. Well, he was then promptly ripped apart, and his body parts were thrown all over the place. See here," Teranis explained, pointing towards a splatter on the wall " This was when one of the chunks of his body was tossed in this direction. I would also like to mention he died painfully and slowly."

" Now, would you like to hear things that don't make sense?" Teranis asked slyly.

Selene almost jumped. There was a flaw? Selene was very thankful that she had brought her inquisitive friend along. Teranis had spotted a flaw in the crime which nobody else had noticed, or either that, they covered it up.

" One thing they forgot to mention in the trial: another weapon used here was a bludgeoning weapon," Teranis explained.

" What?"

Teranis pointed towards one of the splatters of blood on the wall. Selene knelt down and took a closer look. There was a splatter there, but now that Teranis had mentioned it, it was not the splatter of blood off a blade, but more like a bursting of some sort. Definitely the effect of a bludgeoning weapon.

" Three things: a bludgeoning weapon was used, our friend Azaroth had hands made of steel, or he was in fact a demon with superhuman strength. To even place more weight on my statement, if you observe carefully, there are specks of bone fragments all over the ground and on the bed. I'm sure in your time in the army, you should know these fragments come if you pound bone hard enough. This not only proves a bludgeoning weapon was used, but it was used multiple times," Teranis said.

" What does this mean?" Selene asked, sounding worried, yet somehow elated at the news.

" Well, either the people investigating this missed it miraculously, or the assailant figured nobody would think he would be using a bludgeoning weapon if he made a mess of the body. Who was the one in-charge of the investigation?" Teranis asked.

" There were no specifics. All I know is that there were people in the church," Selene answered.

" Being ambiguous, eh? This case is getting even more and more suspicious," Teranis mused.

" What else?"

" Not observed from what I see, but what you had just said earlier. There is no way they could have determined that the weapon used were the exact same swords Azaroth used," Teranis replied.

" Why?"

" Well, actually it is still possible, but I find it highly unlikely. If the largest piece of him found was the size of your fist, it would be almost impossible to trace any sword wounds directly to a type of sword. If his body was still around, and about a couple of stab wounds were visible, then it would be of no problem to trace what kind of blade was used. But since his body was ripped and smashed beyond recognition, feels fishy that they would be able to read such things so easily. Moreover, as I mentioned, he was bludgeoned multiple times, so it even decreases the chance to actually trace it to close to nil. There is still a small chance, and sure, by a technically error, it is possible to find it, but both of us have seen too many things to believe in chances now."

" It is to my idea that this place has been modified slightly. Now, while I sweep the place of any more evidence, why don't you go around the room and look at things a bit, notify me if you spot anything out of the ordinary," Teranis said.

" How the hell are you supposed to see in the dark?" Selene asked.

Teranis flipped out a small device in her hands. She flicked the lighter a few times before a small flame appeared, illuminating a small patch of area in a warm, orange glow. Selene nodded her head, moving off to another area to look around as Teranis continued to look around the blood stains.

-

Serene watched the investigation going on under her with interest. She did not need to be told who the priestess was, although the companion she had brought with her was unfamiliar. However, from what she had explained, it looks like both were intent in finding out why the Holy Order had placed false charges on Azaroth.

She heard a soft creak right next to her. She then realised she was straining the wooden beams harder than she had intended. Her arms were slow becoming numb, and it would not be long before she would have to let go.

She contemplated whether she should just acknowledge her presence to both of them.

-

Selene browsed through whatever inventory was left in Cardinal Crenarius's room. Only a few things were taken out, but most of his collection of items and books were still sitting in their respective shelves or bookcases. Everything was just as it was.

She opened a few drawers, not too sure what she would expect to find inside. A few papers, notes on things to do, letters and the sorts. It also looked like his ink bottle was empty. Nothing much of interest in the drawers.

However, a book caught her attention. It looked quite familiar. She slowly picked it up and took a look. It was a green leather bound book, bent at the edges. At first, Selene wondered what was her diary doing inside the Cardinal's desk, but then she realised that she brought her diary from a small stationary shop somewhere in the market. There was bound to be other copies, and the Cardinal had decided to buy one similar to her.

Feeling bold, she opened the diary up and started to read its contents. Maybe there was some clue in his diary about the events that had happened.

It was pretty much a normal diary in all aspects, and a very short one. Entries were made once every few weeks, mainly detailing whatever he had done over the time span, usually cumulating up to events and what he did. Nothing fantastically interesting altogether.

Then she noticed there was something strange with the diary. She started to flip through all the pages, trying to figure out what it was she felt so wrong with the diary. It took her a minute to figure out it was the smell of the book that caught her attention.

She placed it close to her nose ad smelt the smell. It was the familiar smell of new, freshly pressed paper from the factory. There was no mistaking it: it was the scent of a newly made book, barely used.

She flipped back a few pages to look at the last entries. Somewhere near the beginning of the diary, one of the entries was dated almost a year ago, which did not make sense since the book would have had enough time for the smell to leave. Unless, of course, this was not Cardinal Crenarius's diary at all, but one which was forged with a new book. The creases around the pages looked overly done, and very newly made. Another piece of important information.

" Teranis, I found something interesting here," Selene said.

However, at that exact moment, there was a loud creak coming from somewhere above them, like the sound of stress being applied on wood. Both of them looked up immediately, raising their light sources high, wary of an intruder.

All they saw on the ceiling were wooden beams.

-

Serene hung under the open window frame, her body dangling over the chilling height while her hands were both tightly clamped upon the window still. Figuring that she would be unable to hold on to the beams on the ceiling, she jumped down stealthily, and with one lithe leap, jumped out of the window and hug on to the window still. She was surprise that she had made no other audible sound other than making the beams creak slightly.

" Did you just hear that, or was it just our imagination?" the other female Serene was unfamiliar with asked.

" Too much of a coincidence for both of us to be imagining sounds at the same time," Selene replied.

" …What did you think that was?" the other female asked.

There was silence, then very quickly, Serene's ears picked up footsteps, possibly Selene's, approaching the window fast. The thought of acknowledging herself to Selene popped up again, and Serene could not see why she could not meet Selene. As far as she was concerned, it looked like she was on their side, but she felt prudent to follow Tryzen's words: No outsiders, not yet.

She immediately released her grip on the window and dropped to the ground, feeling the wind against her face. She had performed such a feat back in her home where tall trees were available, but she decided she had enough skill to pull this off in a human environment.

With perfect timing, she grabbed upon the edge of Vermillion's window when she had dropped to that level, and with a burst of strength, yanked herself inside. Tryzen and Vermillion jumped when they saw Serene burst through Vermillion's window.

" Serene!" Both of them exclaimed, rushing towards her. That stunt seemed to have dislocated both of Serene's joints, or so she felt.

" That was one crazy stunt! Can you teach me how to do that?" Vermillion asked. Tryzen was making noises under his throat.

Serene merely grinned. " A habit picked up from living under trees for too long," she replied. " But we can talk about that later. First of all, you need to listen to what I have to say about what I saw and heard."

-

Selene looked out the window, glancing down towards the empty floor below. All she saw was the flat grassy plain, with a few trees in the distance. She was more than convinced that there was someone there. Either there wasn't, or that was person was very acrobatic. She looked up, just in case whoever it was decided to scale the walls of the place. There was nobody on the roof.

She suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her and powerfully yanked her back into the darkness of the room. Selene was about to protest, but Teranis cut her short by saying " You know, it's best you keep away from the window. People might wonder why someone is doing here in a dead cardinal's room."

" I needed to check..."

" I know what you needed to check, but I think you checked long enough. Whatever it was, other people might have been alerted already. We need to cut short our time here, just in case," Teranis warned. Selene had to grudgingly agree.

" What's that?" Teranis asked.

" The cardinal's diary, which I think it's a fake," Selene replied.

" Perfect, take it along," Teranis answered.

" You want to take it along? What if whoever placed it here was to come back and check on it? After all, whoever placed it here would know that a diary is missing, if they come back to check," Selene replied.

" Well, we will have to place it back somehow..." Teranis replied, smiling.

-

" So, we have information that there has been faulty proof being used in the court, and moreover, it looks like Azaroth might not be the culprit. Furthermore, it seems that evidence has been altered within the last week," Tryzen mused, pacing up and down Vermillion's room. Both of them stared at him, allowing him to think after Serene had finished explaining her adventure at the Cardinal's room.

" Obviously, powerful people are involved here, looking at the ability at how they were able to change evidence in such a matter. Also, now that I think of it, they probably had a lot of time to alter any evidence found in the room. Azaroth was arrested five days after he was killed, and not many people were informed about the incident. There was plenty of time to achieve what they wanted. Not only powerful people were involved, but it's now most likely that people in the Holy Order are in this," Tryzen explained, before turning to look at Vermillion, adding " Not including you, obviously..."

" Wait a second! Aren't we jumping into conclusions too fast here?!" Serene exclaimed, jumping up from the bed she was sitting on.

" I wouldn't doubt it, if it came from Tryzen, you know. I don't fancy him, but he always gets his facts quite correct, no matter how far-fetched or dumb as it may sound," Vermillion cut in.

" I didn't say I'm correct, although I'm quite convinced," Tryzen replied.

" In your terms, it means: I'm right," Vermillion snorted.

" What now?" Serene asked.

" Now comes the dangerous part: if we are to assume that whoever has done this is part of the Holy Order, then we must play cautiously. We are not sure how far this reaches into their ranks. As far as we can see, Vermillion is not aware of this, so we can assume that people of the lower levels are not as well, although we can't be sure. This shows that possibly anyone from the rank of High Priest and above are in this. I wouldn't be surprise if the Cardinals were involved, given the power they weld and the way the trial was swayed in their direction," Tryzen said.

" So, what should we do?" Serene asked.

" Investigating would be difficult, but since you said that Selene is on our side, it would be wise to leave her to do the investigating work. She knows the levels and systems of the Holy Order better than us, so we leave most of the investigating work to her. First of all, we need to establish where Azaroth is. Second, we can then focus on what has been going on around here. If possible, some of us will stay with him, just in case something happens, if we do find him," Tryzen explained.

" Tryzen, what if Selene did send him off? Why don't we ask her?" Serene asked.

" Good point, but I'd like to keep ourselves separate from Selene. It would be best if we could work in separate teams, just in case whoever is behind this comes up and starts cracking down on us. It would be harder to hit two teams than one, although you have a valid point. If she indeed sent him away, we can focus on other things," Tryzen replied.

" You remind me of my father," Serene replied.

" What? He looks as good as me?" Tryzen asked, slightly taken aback.

" No, the way you think. You sound like one of the officers in the army in charge of espionage," Serene explained. Tryzen merely shrugged, although Vermillion and Serene caught him smirking even with his face turned away.

-

" So, what about the book?" Teranis asked.

" It's totally new. It's so obvious. This is not Cardinal Crenarius's diary, from the looks of the date. I'm not sure about whether he had a diary or not, but this was definitely placed there," Serene answered.

They had warped back to Selene's room, and were talking through all the things they had found over their investigation of the place. Teranis flipped through the book, squinting her eyes over the words as the light in her room was slightly poor. She scanned through the book quickly.

" Well, I'd say that he had one, and it was replaced. People possibly knew he had a diary, so if they found one when he didn't have, wouldn't that cause problems? I'm saying he had one, and it had information about Azaroth's trial, and someone swapped it," Teranis said.

" You think so?" Selene asked.

" I'm sure, if not why take the trouble to replace the diary?" Teranis asked.

" So, what do we do?" Selene asked.

Teranis was about to say something when she heard a soft, scuffling sound. Both of them looked at the door immediately. A small piece of parchment slid under her door.

Both of them tore towards the door and swung it open, but as Selene and Teranis stepped outside, the only thing that greeted them was the darkness of the night. No one was about, and there was not even a soul in sight. Yet, someone had obviously slid a parchment under her door.

" What the hell?" Teranis spat. Selene had not bothered about it. She had already bent down and ripped the letter open, eager to see what inside. It was a small note, which said:

_Go to the church and give a confession. God will give you the answers._

_Writer's note: I'm updating early since I'll be off on a camping trip for about 5 days, and this is just to keep to my promise of updating each week. _


	15. Chapter 14: Morrocan Way

**Chapter 14: Morrocan Way**

Azaroth's time in Morroc had been much of a quiet one. After all, he couldn't do much parading around in the dangerous streets of the city. His patience, surprisingly, was wearing thin. The best time he ever had was when he had freed those children from the slave merchant, but after that, nothing much has happened. He was stuck in Grimjaw's humble abode, minding his time and wasting his life away, as he had liked to put it.

It had been only a few days since he had been sent here, but Azaroth was starting to feel like a slave himself, unable to move about and stuck to one place. He had a sudden feeling for these people stuck here, somehow understanding their pain. Azaroth was born a free person. Indeed, he didn't go about much form his village, mainly due to the fact that he never could afford the means, but at least back home, he had the option to get out or not. This was inapplicable here.

However, he knew he had no right to complain, when freedom might mean risking getting the axe to his neck, so he bided his time patiently in this hellhole. He wondered what Selene, and his friends, was doing at the moment, and thought of whether he would ever be free from this grasp.

He had to admire Meillienne in a way, a young, spirited girl with dreams for big things to come, yet still patiently waiting here for the time to come. She had never much set foot outside the walls of the Dune, just a couple of times just to keep her sane. Azaroth admired her resilience and determined nature, something very impressive for one such young of age.

So, his main way to kill his boredom was talking to her.

" What are we having today?" Azaroth asked.

" Cream stew," Meillienne said cheerfully as she was cutting all the spices up into little bits. " You look bored. Why don't you help me? I could use some help, and you said you were quite proficient in cooking yourself."

" Thought you never asked," Azaroth replied with a bright smile on his face.

" Peel those potatoes and carrots for me, will you?" Meillienne asked. Pulling up his sleeves, he washed his hands quickly in a basin and grabbed a potato along with a knife. He started to skilfully skin the potato, running the blade around the surface until all the skin had been peeled off.

" Pretty good," Meillienne said.

" Only for potatoes," Azaroth chuckled. " Are you always cooped up here?"

" What do you mean?"

" Staying here for the large part of your life, cut off from the outer world. I know Grimjaw keeps you here for your own safety, but don't you long to see something other than these four walls?" Azaroth asked, skinning more potatoes.

Meillienne thought for a while as she continued to chop up the herbs. " Are you feeling bored already?" she asked after a while, the sound of her knife hitting the chopping board.

" I'm not bored. I'm insane now," Azaroth grumbled.

" I don't think I have anything to complain about it really. I know very well it's for my safety, and my brother risks his life out there all the time just to keep us alive. Really now, I must be more appreciative for what he has done, not for what he could do," Meillienne answered.

" My, how I wish had your kind of resilience," Azaroth mused. He was done with the potatoes and was now going towards the carrots.

" After all, I can imagine the outside world, the world I have always wished to see outside of Morroc. The mind is a really powerful tool, if you can use it well," Meillienne replied.

Azaroth merely agreed by humming softly.

-

They spent the entire evening cooking, both of them adding ingredients to a large pot and stirring it into a thick sticky stew, adding aromatic herbs once in a while to add some flavour. Soon, the entire place was soaked in a rich, sinful aroma that hung around in the room. At least Azaroth could not complain about the food, because Meillienne fed him well.

Grimjaw was late that night, so after a short prayer, which Meillienne insisted on, they eat their dinner first. Azaroth took several extra helpings, which Meillienne had prepared in advance, knowing his appetite well by now. After he had stuffed himself, Azaroth laid sprawled out on the floor, breathing a sigh of relief.

" You eat a lot," Meillienne said, laughing.

" You'd be surprised at what I can swallow," Azaroth laughed.

" Tell me about the capital," Meillienne asked all of a sudden.

Azaroth got up and looked at her. " Why do you want to know?" Azaroth asked.

" I've always wanted to serve in the church, and I've always had this wild imagination of the place. The most I've seen are just mere black and white paintings in books. What does it look like? Sate my curiosity, Azy," Meillienne asked politely.

" Well," Azaroth said, frowning. " My memory of the place isn't that good, since I rarely enter the capital, but I'll tell you what I know. It's a humongous place, a whole city enclosed within a large fortress. There is this tall, magnificent…or so they say, wall of stone which encompasses the entire city. On the walls, towers in the shape of spires guard the place, always a soldier or two keeping watch all around the place."

" Well then, there is the main gate. Made from solid wood taken from only the best in Payon, and fortified with the finest steel of Rune-Midguard, it is much stronger than the wall of the fortress itself. They say that if the gate was to fall, so will the city. It has never happened throughout the history of Rune-Midguard since the founding of the city, and from the age they took of the wood that makes up the gate, they say it would last at least for another thousand years."

" The city itself is always bustling. At night, all will be silent, but when the sun is still up, the activity in the city is really maddening. There will be shops open everywhere, and the trading going on would rival that in the city of Alberta. People of all statuses and stature will be seen in the streets. Truly a sight where everyone actually can be…why are you looking at me like that?" Azaroth suddenly asked.

Meillienne's eyes seem to be shining all of a sudden as she listened raptly to Azaroth's description of the city. Given any more time, Azaroth might even expect drool to come out from her mouth.

" Nothing….I was just fascinated by the way you describe the city," Meillienne said.

" Oh…well, other than that, I'm rather clueless about the damn city. Unless you want me to talk about my time in the dungeons and he courtroom, I've got nothing more to say about it, really," Azaroth replied.

" I heard Karl Benedict was a great champion. I wish to meet such a man," Meillienne said.

" Who the heck is he?" Azaroth asked.

" Don't you know? He's a famous champion. He's retired now, but he has a lot of strength and skill to still continue to fight. He has great prestige," Meillienne said.

" Now that you mentioned it, Karl Benedict sounds familiar…" Azaroth said, rubbing his chin.

" You know him?" Meillienne asked, sounding excited.

All at once, Azaroth remembered. It was Vermillion who had mentioned his name before. No wonder it sounded familiar. " I see now. My friend Vermillion mentioned his name before. I think that she mentioned that he was her mentor or something like that." Azaroth said.

" Wow, you have a friend who is under his wing. That's quite amazing," Meillienne replied.

Azaroth was not too sure what was really amazing: that a person of such prestige to be recognised by Meillienne took Vermillion under his wing, or that whether this man actually had the brains to keep her around. From what he had heard, it looks like she was still under him, being his only student so far. Granted, he never knew that this man was so well recognised, so initially he thought that he was some violent old fart that shared the same tastes in violence like Vermillion.

" The Princess of the Royal Malkenthos line is also getting a rank as a High Priest," Meillienne said.

" Who?" Azaroth asked.

" The Princess of Rune-Midguard. There is only one, Azy. Don't you know her?" Meillienne asked, raising her eyebrows.

" Oh, you mean Reinne Malkenthos. Yeah, I know her. The last heir to the throne," Azaroth said.

" She's the last of her generation. I'm surprised her father, the King, even allowed her to join the army. After all, all his sons lost their lives in the army, and she is the only child he has left," Meillienne replied, thinking for a while. Azaroth felt slightly embarrassed. Here was a girl who had not seen the outside world over such a long period of time, and yet knew the princess even was in the army when he didn't.

All of a sudden, the door of their room opened, and Grimjaw stepped in, looking as though he had just cleaned himself up, which was not much really. He sat down and grabbed a bowl of stew, gobbling it down within seconds. Meillienne gracefully filled up his bowl when he wanted seconds.

" Very rude of you, you know that," Azaroth said. " You could at least say hi, to your sister especially."

" I did," Grimjaw said with his mouth full.

" I didn't hear you say anything," Azaroth retorted.

" Whoever said that I needed to say something to greet her?" Grimjaw asked.

" Don't mind him, he has had a busy day," Meillienne replied.

" Anyway, we will be leaving tonight," Grimjaw said.

" We?"

" You heard me right. I did say I needed your help. Anyway, since you have been cooped up so long in here, I thought you could use some fresh air. And while you are at it, you could use your swords of yours to ensure that your skills don't get rusty," Grimjaw said, tossing his empty bowl to his sister when he was done.

" What are we up against?" Azaroth asked.

" I'll explain when we are on the way. Come, get ready. We need to leave now," Grimjaw said. Meillienne quickly took all the bowls, along with the stew pot to the back of the room to clean them. Grimjaw got up and went to his room to get his stuff ready.

" Looks pretty touché tonight," Azaroth commented towards Meillienne.

" Possibly because he's working with you," Meillienne casually replied.

" What does that have to do with anything?" Azaroth asked.

" Nothing, really," she mused.

Azaroth went to get his things ready. Strapping both his swords to his belt, he then started to put on the mask to cover his face, his identity. He wrapped one of Grimjaw's cloaks around his neck, trying to look more of a rogue than an unfamiliar person in the city. Grimjaw came out soon enough to check on him.

" Ready?" Grimjaw asked. Azaroth nodded.

" Don't wait for me, sis. We'll be back late," Grimjaw said, looking at her standing by the door to see them off. She nodded to acknowledge his words.

" You didn't do anything funny back when I was not around with my sister, did you?" Grimjaw asked.

" Why do you ask?" Azaroth asked, taken-aback.

" She looked happier than normal. I figured you did 'something' to her," Grimjaw said, grinning all of a sudden.

" That's very suggestive," Azaroth replied.

-

Outside of the 'Dune', there was a terrible sandstorm brewing. The winds buffeted against their face, spraying sand all over Azaroth's face. His cloak was now flying madly along with the wind, and walking along the sandy desert was not making him keep his balance any easier. Not to mention that the temperature was now slightly below zero once the sun had set, and Azaroth felt very chilled. He was really surprised Grimjaw could brave this kind of situation with just a mere leather jacket.

" So, what now?" Azaroth asked.

" Tryhayren has been having problems with this radical group, and really, they are acting like a bunch of idiots really, causing problems with the merchants and all that. Tryhayren thinks they are bad for business, and has ordered me to kill them all for being such bold heroes," Grimjaw replied.

" And you need my help?" Azaroth asked.

" I'm up against a few of them, 8 at least. With you along, I could just barge in and we can just beat the shit out of all of them. I'm not a very patient person, and Tryhayren has been bugging me to take care of them for some time now," Grimjaw replied. Looking at Azaroth, he asked " Why? You aren't complaining are you?"

" Like hell I am," Azaroth replied.

They reached the city area. The streets were now empty, only the lights of the buildings shining in the dark. Both of them made their way through to the streets, nobody to obstruct their path.

After a while, Grimjaw stopped at a building and glanced at the door. Azaroth lifted his head to catch what Grimjaw was looking at. He spotted the word 'Tavern' on a broken down sign that hung above the door. There was a lot of noise inside, mostly shouting and rude laughing all over .

" Ready?" Grimjaw asked.

Azaroth was a little perplex. These people they were fighting stayed in a tavern? Wouldn't that cause a lot of ruckus? And how would Grimjaw proceed?

" Hey, are you ready?" Grimjaw asked again.

" Um, how are we dealing with them?" Azaroth asked.

" Just follow my lead, alright?" Grimjaw said. Azaroth nodded, his hands on the hilt of his swords.

Grimjaw swiftly placed his boot on the door and kicked it rudely open, almost breaking it off its hinges. The crowd almost silenced by Grimjaw's sudden intrusion. Within one swift second, Grimjaw strode all the way along the tavern, reached the first table he saw, grabbed a female assassin by her neck, and stabbed his blade that appeared out of nowhere from his left hand deep into her neck. Drawing it out from her flesh, he dropped her on the floor, letting her bleed to death in a pool of her own blood.

It looked like Grimjaw was used to a violent approach, and even being of a different sex was not really a deterrent to his violence.


	16. Chapter 15: Morrocan Style

**Chapter 15: Morrocan Style**

Everything happened almost at once. As soon as Grimjaw brutally killed off his enemy, several of the people inside the tavern stood up immediately, their blades half drawn, all of them glaring at him, either in anger or in fear. Most of the customers drank their drinks within a gulp, leaving as quickly as possible as they did not want to suffer in the hands of a fight. The bartender immediately left through the back door.

" Your fame is about as amazing as your foolishness," one of them exclaimed.

" You bastards have been causing too much trouble here anyway. I'm here to settle everything once and for all. Tryhayren thinks you all are good-for-nothing scumbags, and quite honestly, I have to agree with her on this occasion," Grimjaw snarled menacingly, licking the blood off his blade. A few of the people still remaining flinched, but some were still rather resolute, since they believe they have their numbers to keep up with whatever Grimjaw could dish out on them.

" You intend to take us all? I must acknowledge your skill, but you cannot hold out against all of us all at once," the same person replied, sounding obviously like the leader.

" You have two options: you drop your weapons and submit yourself to me, or die painfully," Grimjaw replied, ignoring the man.

" Were you not listening to me?!" the man bellowed.

" I'm the one with the upper hand here. Why the fuck should I even listen to you?" Grimjaw asked, thumbing his chest.

Two of the group had decided that they had enough of Grimjaw's trash talk, leaping over the tables, their katars flashing under the candle light. Grimjaw's blades went up, and he parried both attacks, pinning down four katars with his two blades. With all his strength, he started to push the two attackers backwards, trying to force them off balance so that he could gain the upper hand in the duel.

Another ran towards him, but this time Azaroth decided that it was time for him to cut in. Rushing forward, he unsheathed his sword and slashed at the attacker. He could barely deflect Azaroth's strike, forfeiting his balance. Azaroth took full advantage of this by kicking him throwing him off balance.

" Another one?" one of them cried.

" I thought Grimjaw only worked alone!" another exclaimed.

" Who cares? It's him or us! Kill him!" the leader rallied. All at once, all of them leaped at both Azaroth and Grimjaw.

" Bah, bring it on! You are all trash anyway!" Grimjaw howled, barging forward, throwing the two assassins off balance, in which he stabbed one directly in the gut. He send blood gushing all over the place as he started parrying blows from the on-coming storm of assassins and rogues. " But, you know, we are running low on fighting space..."  
" If it's fighting space we need, then it's fighting space we will get. Take advantage of the distraction I make," Azaroth said, parrying a blow from a dagger. His other arm reached back to grab his other sword, and with a powerful swing, he unleashed his flying slash. He ripped an on-coming rogue in half, and dispersed the crowd leaping at him as his attack smashed into a table, sending pieces if splinters and small shards of glass all over.

" What kind of technique is that?" one of them exclaimed.

" Why bother, since you are about to die anyway?" Azaroth declared, throwing two more flying slashes at their directions. None of his consecutive attacks hit anyone, but he had created enough room for them to act as the rest of their attackers had backed off from the attack.

" I knew you would be excellent!" Grimjaw laughed. Then, both he and Azaroth started to begin their bloody assault.

Grimjaw ran through their ranks, swiftly dodging their strikes. One foolish rogue decided to try his luck by sneaking up from behind, but Grimjaw saw him just in time as he kicked one person out of the way. Grimjaw backhanded the man on his jaw, and followed it up by continuing to throw his hand backwards, sinking one of his blades into the person. He left the blade in the poor guy's neck to save him the second it would take to yank it out, drawing another from his belt.

Three assassins and a rogue attacked Azaroth simultaneously, their katars and blades flashing dangerously in front of Azaroth's eyes. These people were trained to attack with speed, but Azaroth was quick enough to match their attacks, although he was mainly defending most of the time. Both his swords flashed back and forth to knock the unstoppable storm of blades.

One of them stepped forward and his katars went into a blur as he slashed viciously at Azaroth, his hands moving at insane speeds. Azaroth braced himself as the katars hit his swords multiple times, his hands shaking from the force and the swords ringing from the resonance. It was then when he missed a dagger being thrown in his direction, which fortunately just scratched his forehead. He merely felt the sting, and the warm sticky fluid flowing down his forehead, but he quickly shrugged it off quickly.

He forced an assassin's katars into a bind, then he threw his hands up, forcing the assassin's hands apart, leaving him vulnerable. Azaroth attacked, but the assassin dodged the attack in time as he saw it coming. However, he was unable to avoid the entire attack and Azaroth's blade merely ripped half his throat apart. He was as good as dead, but Azaroth followed it up by stabbing him in the heart, making sure he really died.

There was more violence being experienced there than Azaroth had ever experienced before. Both Grimjaw and Azaroth were making quick work of the group, slicing down their numbers efficiently. Before they knew it, Grimjaw slammed his blade into the last person's skull, and looked around to admire his work.

The tavern was now in a bloody mess. The corpses of all the dead people lay about, their deaths pictured gruesomely as they lay in their death pose. A head missing here, two limbs missing there, another with his guts all over the floor. Azaroth's hands were soaked in blood, more than he could have ever asked for.

Azaroth looked around him, and he felt a bit uneasy. It was not the violence that made him uncomfortable, the fact that he just killed several unknown people, ripping their bodies apart. It was not even the gore that made him uneasy, with the floor now painted gloriously in blood, the bodies of dead people bleeding everywhere, as if a battle had just ended.

It made him uneasy since he felt normal, even though he knew it was morally wrong. He looked at his bloodstained hands with curiosity. Surely, this level of violence coming from him was totally unjustified. Then why did he act as such?

Somehow he felt cleansed. Somehow he felt he had accomplished something. Unexplainable feelings, where he felt nothing of what he had just done, like an ordinary citizen of this crazy place, yet knowing very well it was unnatural of him.

" That's was fun. I never knew you were that good," Grimjaw said, pulling out one of his weapons from a man's chest. Seeing Azaroth standing quietly by the side, Grimjaw said " Hey, are you alright? You aren't..."

There was no time for Grimjaw to finish his sentence. Something that looked vaguely like a knife flew out of nowhere, and hit Grimjaw squarely in the face. Azaroth's eyes widened as he saw Grimjaw's head arch back, his body suddenly falling backwards, almost as if he was moving in slow motion, with the long blade sticking out from his head.

" Grimjaw!" Azaroth exclaimed in horror.

As if those words were the spell to resurrect the dead, Grimjaw's body suddenly snapped back like a spring, pushing his head up and holding himself steady. With awe, Azaroth saw Grimjaw spat the dagger which he had caught squarely with his teeth aside. The blade clattered noisily on the floor, but nonetheless, Grimjaw was practically unharmed.

" Kinda expected that somehow," Grimjaw said all of a sudden, looking up towards the second floor landing of the tavern. Azaroth spun around to see who it was.

There was a female rogue who looked down at Grimjaw nonchalantly, smiling slightly. She had perched herself onto the wooden railing of the landing above, swinging her legs, which she had crossed, in a rather carefree manner. She had long lustrous black hair, in which she tied them up in a roll and stuck two very thin blades to act as pins. Like Grimjaw, she wore an open leather jacket, with an extra ragged shirt and fishnets to cover her parts.

" Oh, you still have the stamina to stand after all that?" she said teasingly.

" You won't get my head, Xeres, not in a million years," Grimjaw replied, flipping out another knife from his belt.

" Doesn't stop me from trying," Xeres replied haughtily, standing up on the railing. She looked impassively at Azaroth for a while. " Well, who's this? I thought you never worked with anyone else."

" Heck, it isn't too late to change the old habits, you know," Grimjaw replied.

" Surprise, surprise, an outsider in fact. What brings you here?" Xeres asked.

" Shut up! You have got to be an idiot to come face me alone, let alone with my friend here now," Grimjaw declared, pointing his knife at her threateningly.

" Oh," Xeres smiled. She snapped her fingers, and from behind her leaped out two men, dressed in large black cloaks, each wearing a red and blue mask respectively. Grimjaw flung his knife at one of them, but the Red Mask merely knocked it aside with something invisible as of yet.

Two of them landed with loud thuds on the wooden floor, and started to circle Azaroth. Grimjaw was about to help him when Xeres leaped off the landing, dropping right on top of Grimjaw to stop him. He tried to kick her in mid-air, but he missed. Xeres took out two Stilettos and ran up to Grimjaw, parrying blows with him.

" You are not the only one with the great idea to get companions, you know," Xeres breathed into his face.

" Oh, but they suck anyway, so it doesn't matter too much," Grimjaw snarled back.

" I'm not too sure about that actually," Xeres replied, her other hand coming out of nowhere to strike Grimjaw.

Red Mask and Blue Mask ran around in circles around Azaroth, making him feel a bit disorientated. As he tried to get a point on their location, both of them stopped and in one straight line, leaped in his direction, flanking him on the sides. Azaroth just merely had the time to catch the reflection of a thin, shiny line that flew at his direction.

He immediately realized what it was. He ducked just in time just as the wire knife almost snagged him, but his Tsurugi blade wasn't so lucky. He felt something wrap itself around the tip of his blade, and with some force, yanked it out of his grip. His sword went flying, sinking itself into the ceiling several meters away from him.

" Watch it! They use wires to attack!" Grimjaw exclaimed.

Xeres threw both her arms at once at Grimjaw, but he merely brought his knives back to his chest, metal scraping against metal as the sound of steel collided. Xeres however, followed up by launching a head butt to Grimjaw's head, knocking him silly. Grimjaw wheeled back slightly, stunned by the sudden blow. He just recovered in time to catch the blade which Xeres tried to use to stab him, painfully stinging his hands.

Xeres did some quick footwork, trying to trip Grimjaw. He felt her leg snag his nicely, and it suddenly pulled itself. Grimjaw quickly sank his blade into the wooden floor as he fell, pulling himself aside just in time as Xeres stabbed her Stiletto down upon him, rolling aside to safety.

Azaroth was also having problems of his own. Red Mask and Blue Mask started to run around him again, but Azaroth decided to act first before they snagged his remaining sword. He just ran randomly into one direction, hoping to catch at least one of them as they continued to run around in circles around him.

Blue Mask stopped and ran up to him. Azaroth threw his sword against him, but the blade merely graced his cloak. Red Mask threw out a few strings, and they caught onto his Haedonggum. It took them an extra second to just yank it off.

Blue Mask spun around Azaroth, and grabbed him from behind. Red Mask threw his last sword aside and drew out a small knife. " You lost your weapons, and you have lost," he snarled, dashing towards Azaroth as Blue Mask held him down.

Grimjaw was more adapt at using his knives, but in terms of unarmed combat, he lost to Xeres. She started raining blows and kicks on him, mostly to the face. Her attacks were that similar to a monk, using her legs to reach out and hit Grimjaw at the head and yet retract then fast enough so that he didn't have much room to gain any advantage on her. Grimjaw tried blocking her kicks with his knives than his arm, but it didn't make much of a difference as she just merely adjusted the angle of her kicks so that she could still land blows on him without getting cut.

" What's wrong? Tired already?" Xeres laughed, kicking him once more. Grimjaw quickly raised his hand to his left, absorbing the impact of the kick.

All of a sudden, Grimjaw drew his left arm back and threw his knife. Xeres knew that was a foolish move, since throwing the knife at such a close distance would be of no use. Expectedly, she dodged the knife and launched an uppercut to his jaw. Grimjaw felt his head shake as the concussion shook his brains.

" Bad move," Xeres replied.

" Not quite…" Grimjaw replied, grinning despite the pain.

Xeres then caught the direction in which the knife was actually flying at. Just as Red Mask was about to stab Azaroth, he stopped in his tracks as the knife Grimjaw threw flew right at his face. He managed to escape with a cut upon his mask. Seeing the opportunity, Azaroth freed his foot and stomped hard on Blue Mask's foot, making howl in pain. He followed up by swinging his hands to connect with his privates.

" Damn you…" he groaned, dropping to his knees.

" You got that right!" Azaroth replied. Freed now, he leaped up to the ceiling and grabbed his embedded Tsurugi. He yanked it out, and using the forces of gravity to do his work, dropped upon Blue Mask, who was still stunned, drawing a long line along his back, halving his spine into two parts. Blue Mask fell to the floor, never to rise up again.

" Seems like we are gaining the upper hand here," Grimjaw laughed, picking himself up from the punch Xeres gave him, wiping the blood off his mouth with his hand.

" You just bested one of my men. No need to be so cocky," Xeres replied.

" Oh, but really, I only tell the truth," Grimjaw replied, and with that, immediately started to dash silently towards Red Mask, how had his back against Grimjaw and was merely focusing on Azaroth. Xeres tried to swipe him as he went past her, but he managed to dodge her attack, feeling the blade in his hair.

Grimjaw sunk his blade deep into Red Mask, who had just realized Grimjaw's approach just too late. By the time he knew, what had happened, Grimjaw had already stabbed him in the back, his knife sticking out of his chest cavity. He gargled in his own blood then hung his head. Xeres came up to attack Grimjaw when he was occupied, but Azaroth was quick enough to engage her, countering her Stilettos with his Tsurugi with relative ease due to his weapons extra weight.

" I'm getting tired of this Xeres. You know very well that you are bound to fail anyway," Grimjaw replied, pulling out his blade, allowing the man to drop onto the floor in a heap. Xeres merely made a 'tch'ing sound, looking glum but still grinning.

" Last warning, Xeres. It will be last time my patience is going to hold. Go after me again and I'll personally tear you apart, and trust me, I'm actually waiting for that," Grimjaw warned. Xeres merely leaped out a window, crashing through the glass plane and shattering the small window to bits.

" Are you sure you want to let her leave? I think she will be after you again, and trust me, it's not my woman's institution that is telling me that," Azaroth replied.

" I'm generally more lenient to the opposite sex," Grimjaw replied, hoping over to the drink section and helping himself to a bottle of Morrocan cactus wine. He popped the cork and drank from the bottle, sighing contentedly after a large gulp.

" What about that female whom you just ripped her throat apart when you entered? How does your principle apply?" Azaroth asked.

" Well, you know, there are exceptions in cases like these. After all, I was suppose to kill them all anyway, and if by some miracle that they surrender, they would just all become slaves. She was meant to die anyway," Grimjaw answered, surveying his kills casually.

" However, if I remember correctly, you only asked them to surrender after you killed her," Azaroth argued.

" There are two types of slaves here, Azaroth: one will be being a servant for as long as whoever owns you pleases, and the other would be to sell your body to whoever who owns you. Understandably, the second one only applies to the females, and I believe that no self-respecting female deserves to be forced upon without her consent. Killing is one thing, being violated is another Azaroth. She was better off dead than in bed with someone who was willing to buy her," Grimjaw replied.

" Do the women here have any self-respect?" Azaroth asked, joining Grimjaw from behind the bar, leaning on a table.

" Most probably don't, but I'm not going to do that to avoid being a hypocrite," Grimjaw replied, laughing. " Unfortunately, most of us here are hypocrites anyway, so my earlier statement might not be applicable. I just go with the flow."

Azaroth stared at Grimjaw for a while as he drunk his drink. " I find it hard to believe, but somehow, your sick, twisted logic actually sounds logical to me," Azaroth said after a while.

" I don't actually expect you to believe me, you know. I mean, who can?" Grimjaw replied.

" Are your nights always this busy?" Azaroth asked.

" Nah, tonight was a real surprise," Grimjaw admitted.

" You kill like a professional," Azaroth replied.

" Those past 20 around here usually do," Grimjaw replied. " It's part of a vicious life cycle. It's you or the other. You either take it or leave it. You either die or make someone die for you. Whoever you are trying to kill may be right, but two rights don't necessarily mean that both of you will live. Times are tough in Morroc. If you can stay here for about 5 years, you have what it takes to kill for life."

" Your sister innocent though," Azaroth replied.

" She's innocent because I force her to be. Everybody here has a shard of innocence, Azy. The problem is that we don't have much of a luxury to dwell on it. I have it at well," Grimjaw said, holding his chest. " But after killing so many people, that feeling seems to disappear altogether, locked in my violent nature I have created. I have always wanted to leave this place, but honestly Azy, what the heck am I suppose to do outside these four walls that make up this crazy city? I live to kill, and kill to live. I basically have no other 'social' skill," he continued, chuckling at his own joke.

" Putting me aside, you aren't so bad yourself. Have you killed before?" Grimjaw replied, changing the topic.

" Uh…" Azaroth stammered. He was not sure how to answer that question. He had previously never killed anyone before entering Morroc, and now he had just joined Grimjaw in on orgy of indiscriminate reaping, yet he felt little remorse. The part of him controlling his morals told him he was wrong, but he didn't feel that way.

" I don't think so. You don't look like the type," Grimjaw answered his question for him.

" I'm a hunter. The most I've killed was a grizzly," Azaroth replied.

" A very skilled and apt hunter, by the way, from what I've seen in your skills. You fighting style is more of a rogue than that of a swordsman, victory first over honour. And being only self-taught, maybe that was what honed your combat skills to such a level. It's possible being hunting too long has given you an animalistic nature. Just a guess, mind you, but a very good one, I should say," Grimjaw replied, tipping the last of the contents of the bottle into his mouth.

" Anyway," Grimjaw said, tossing the bottle aside " That crazy slash move you did just now? How did you come by it? It was pretty amazing."

" Self-taught," Azaroth replied.

" Do you learn nothing from anywhere else?" Grimjaw groaned.

" Well, I believe that I figured out this skill by myself. It just involves the Bash technique that typically every swordsman should know, expect with a few creative deviations," Azaroth replied.

" Brilliant, really. I should learn it. Why didn't you patent this skill and sell your abilities to the army?" Grimjaw asked.

" Well…it's a complicated story…" Azaroth replied, feeling Grimjaw didn't know much about the Kyrodin Guild.

" We've got time," Grimjaw argued.

" But we don't have privacy," Azaroth said, looking around.

" Cool, let's go back to our place then," Grimjaw suggested. As they were walking out, Grimjaw dug into his pockets and extracted a few zenny and threw them onto the floor. " I'm only paying for the damn drink. All the broken tables aren't going to be my problem," he replied to the bartender, who had just peeked out of the door he had ran to hide inside.


	17. Chapter 16: Other Things

**Chapter 16: Other Things**

Selene was not too sure how long it has been since she had entered a confessional. It was probably when she was young child, possibly twelve years old. It had been over some trivial matter where she beaten up someone over some petty thing. Interesting thing was that she did not go to the confessional to state that she felt sorry about it, but merely to express her contentment. She remembered the priest she was confessing to even laughed after he heard that she felt good after knocking up a kid who insulted her dress.

She slowly stepped into the compartment and sat down on the seat nearby. She was not too sure what to say. After all, the instructions on the sheet of paper were pretty vague. I could have meant anything, although this was the first thing Selene thought of.

" I'm glad you could make it," a male voice replied all of a sudden.

" Who are you?" Selene asked warily.

" Don't be alarmed. I'm a friend of Azaroth, and I intend to help him, and I also see that you have the same intentions," the man replied.

" I'm not too sure I can trust you," Selene replied.

" I'm not surprised why. After all, one has to be suspicious of the things going on here. Any way I could convince you that I'm on your side?" the man asked. " I think I can though. During your travels here, after the incident in the outer villages, you met up with Vermillion, and an assassin as well…"

Selene's mind vaguely remembered a vague character standing behind some trees during the time when she was injured. There was no way he could have known that unless…

" Are you him?" she asked, her heart pumping.

" Alas, no, but I do know him. This information comes courteously from both Serene and Vermillion, whom I'm sure you know quite well," the man replied.

" Alright, I believe you…what do you have to say?" Selene said, preparing to listen.

" My name is Tryzen Manaloth…"

" You mean 'Blitz' Manaloth?!" Selene exclaimed all of a sudden.

Tryzen chuckled slightly, sounding really humoured. " I see that my reputation has been to other cities as well. I must say, I'm really ahead of myself. Pray, where did you heard about me from?" Tryzen asked.

" Are you kidding me? You are the only on who can cast high level spells in less than 10 seconds. Frankly, you are quite famous here, and also rather infamous as well, from all the rumours I'm hearing," Selene replied.

" 7 actually," Tryzen corrected " No doubt, the Elders of Geffen are trying to discredit me. But forget about me for now…"

" Both of us have figured about as much that someone in the Holy Order is behind this…"

" That's quite an assumption," Selene retorted reflexively.

" Pray, Priestess, do you have any other suspects?" Tryzen asked. Selene was unable to reply.

" There is no doubt that someone from the Holy Order did this. Maybe not directly, like being influenced by some outside forces, but I've been seeing too many fishy things going around in these parts. Certainly, you must agree you have the same suspicions as I do," Tryzen remarked.

Selene didn't reply but merely nodded, although she didn't realise that Tryzen probably couldn't see her actions.

" What do you plan on doing?" Selene asked.

" I intend to investigate what is going on here. The higher echelons seemed to be deeply involved in this, and we shall investigate further. However, I do have a question. Where did you send Azaroth, under the assumption that you did?" Tryzen asked.

" Morroc…"

" Of all places…why Morroc?" Tryzen asked.

" I've fixed locations of my warp sites at cities, and Morroc was the only one where neither the army nor the Holy Order can reach him without going through some difficulty. I had no other choice really, it was the only place I could send him to," Selene admitted.

" Well, I trust Azaroth's survival skills that he can stay alive in Morroc, but other than that, we can't do anything else. It might be a good thing to try and contact him though, but I'm having other ideas," Tryzen answered. " Well, we should be on our ways. We need to investigate this problem thoroughly."

" Wait! If we are working on the same side, why can't we cooperate?" Selene asked.

" No, we don't know of yet what we are facing, so it would be prudent that we work separately. If anything comes up, I'll send word," Tryzen said. Selene heard a soft swishing sound from the next compartment. She tore out of the confessional and pried open the priest's compartment, but it was empty by the time she opened it.

---

" Azaroth's in Morroc? Heck, that's going to be difficult. What if he gets killed?" Vermillion asked.

" Selene had no other options but that place, and if she sent him anywhere else, he would be promptly caught and sent for an execution. I don't blame her really," Tryzen answered, sitting down on a chair.

" What next?" Serene asked.

" How about we just raid the Cardinal's rooms?" a voice suggested.

All three of them turned around to where the voice was coming from. An assassin sat perched upon the window's edge of Vermillion's room. His wavy silver hair blew along with the wind, as his piercing yellow eyes looked at the people in the room. Serene noted that he looked vaguely familiar.

" Krayken, how nice of you to join us," Tryzen exclaimed.

Krayken hopped off the window into the room, his feet landing silently on the stony floor. Serene then remembered seeing this person after getting out of the zombie infested village, which was along with Vermillion at that time. He had stayed so much in the background she did not really notice him at all.

" Have to, really. Sounds like Azaroth is really full of trouble," Krayken answered quickly.

" I'm not sure if you have met him, Serene, but this is Krayken Xarakent, fellow assassin and also a companion of Azaroth," Tryzen introduced.

" We've met," Serene answered.

" You did? Very well, guess I don't really need to introduce you that intimately then," Tryzen replied.

" I've gotten the gist of what is going on around here. Sounds like the Holy Order is not going to give up on him, and they will be launching search parties soon. Hiding in Morroc might still not be safe, given how people there can be heavily influenced by money," Krayken replied.

" You sure know a lot given the short amount of time we have seen you here," Vermillion remarked.

" I listen much better than you do," he answered.

" Why you…!"

" Why are you here anyway?" Tryzen asked.

" Stuff, you know. I did tell Azaroth that there was something fishy going on around here," Krayken replied.

" What do you know about all this that has been going on here?" Tryzen asked.

" I thought a person of your intellect would be much better off at things like that than me," Krayken replied passively, although it sounded like he was trying to tease Tryzen.

" No games, now. What do you know?" Tryzen asked.

Krayken sighed, then started explaining, walking around the room as he spoke:

" As far as you know, there have been some undead activity outside the city near all the villages. Now, this isn't relatively new actually. Some reports have been circulating all around, mainly classified as rumours so nobody actually paid much attention to them. However, there are a sizable number of reports of funny activities going on. Coincidentally, things have been stirring inside the Holy Order just as soon as these undead reports arose."

" Apparently there is a lot of quiet yet bustling activity going on in the Holy Order. I know that apparently there is a lot of exchange of information going on between the cardinals, mainly among merchants and suspicious characters like me. I'm not too sure what they are doing with rogues and assassins, but this means that Morroc isn't much of a safe place to place Azaroth."

" Now the question is what are they doing with these people? I'm come up with information that four of the cardinals have been acting strangely of late. They are Cardinal Martrian, Cardinal Selaindria and Cardinal Maginus, plus the late dead one. See the connection here?"

" Aren't those the three who were witnesses to the crime?" Serene asked.

" Supposed witnesses. As far as we are concerned, we have no proof besides their word that Azaroth actually killed Crenarius. And after what I've seen, I'm not very surprised really. Now, the thing is what were they doing? However, my intelligence network can only go as far to tell you they have been up to something fishy, that's all I can say."

" Unfortunately, this brings the problem in where does Azaroth come into the picture with a bunch of weird acting Cardinals. Here's my theory: someone else knew about their actions, and took action in killing one of them. This somehow would lead to problems, if not, they would have ordered the entire army to hunt down the perpetrator. The reason why they wanted Azaroth would be as a cover up. I'm spouting a random idea here, so feel free to interrupt me."

" No, your idea is really plausible. Makes sense in a way," Tryzen replied.

" All I have listened to so far is bunch of outrageous theories that seem to be coming true, so I'm not questioning anyone's sanity at the moment," Serene said, leaning back onto her chair.

" What next?" Vermillion asked.

" Krayken, where did you get all this information?" Tryzen asked.

" Came from someone who knew someone who knew someone. I just came here to observe the on-goings. Why?"

" We should observe these cardinals again to see what comes up. Where do you usually look?" Tryzen asked.

---

Melanie folded her hands and stood over a small knoll that oversaw a small farming village. Much of it was destroyed, as Selene had stated. The houses were now merely ruins, burnt till they were crisp and black, only the dark cinders of wood remaining. Most of the bodies there had already decomposed to a terrible level, leaving a stench in the air. One of the younger female members in her platoon gagged when they arrived.

" Not too pretty, isn't it?" one of her platoon members replied. Melanie merely nodded.

" Indeed, it isn't," Melanie replied. " Anyway, move out in groups of threes or fours. Just circle around the area and take a short look. I want all the acolytes and priest to use their spells to investigate the area. I want to know what happened here."

" Roger!" everyone replied, breaking up and leaving in their respective groups. Melanie headed straight for the middle of the village, with two other companions in tow. He drew out her sword and slung her shield over her arm just as a precaution.

There was no much to really look about from the destruction, except at the broken down houses and the unrecognisable corpses. Melanie stepped into the middle of the carnage calmly, merely looking around to spot anything out of the ordinary. The knight that had tagged along felt slightly queasy, but the priest was rather comfortable with that.

" Melanie," the priests replied.

" Yeah, speak up," she said, prodding a skull with her sword.

" The strange thing is, I'm getting no negative energy readings from the place. This place despite it's looks, is clean. There are no traces of necromancy, nor any demonic auras. It is as if there were no undead around the place, and that the villagers had merely burned down their villagers and killed themselves over it," he replied.

" That can't be possible! Priestess Selene said there were undead, and there should some trace of them," Melanie barked.

" Commander, I can sense traces of undead energy around, yet there is no definite seal around it," he replied.

" What do you mean?"

" I can confirm that undead people were here. I'm seen enough of the undead to know that whatever that did this were zombies. The problem is, they didn't come from outside of the village, which meant that they came from within the village. Problem is, I can't sense any unholy powers anywhere, just mere traces that zombies were here. Heck, I can't find any remains that are remotely of any undead origin," he answered.

Melanie frowned, pondering upon the statement, wondering what it could imply. She took another look at the lifeless village, wondering what all this meant.

---

" Interesting place you have here," Serene remarked.

Krayken had taken them through a long walk through the monastery, through some old passageway even Vermillion was not really aware of. Right now they were travelling through some dank, cold sewage tunnel that seemed to lead to nowhere, except Krayken seemed to know where he was going.

" What is this place?" Vermillion asked, looking at a small pile of rat bones by the corner. She saw, or possibly imagined something moving about inside one of the smaller passageways that could possibly only feasibly fit a rat.

" How much do you know about the history of the ancient structures of Prontera?" Krayken asked.

" From your expression, I would say less than you do," Vermillion scowled.

" There is no need to get angry because you are dumb," Krayken replied passively. " Prontera was more of a very compact country than a city long before we were here. Originally, a lot of bands of people decided to settle down together and form an independent country, and after extensive years later, formed a monarchy which is the Royal family are the direct descendants of this very old royal bloodline. However, much of the other clans opposed this monarchy, and since they feel that it's more of a threat to their freedom, opposed against it and launched a massive civil war."

" The fortress wall had not been built before then, and neither was the main castle we see today. The only grand structure that they actually erected was this church, and it has been standing the longest among all the buildings in the city. Much of this underground tunnels and secret passageways were used as a fort itself, much like the tunnels operating along the fortress wall that surround the city. Much of this place was used to travel around without the risk of danger when a heated battle was moving along in the city. Of course, years after the war, this also became a great place for the Cardinals to meet their mistresses."

" Some parts have been integrated as the sewer system in the Pronteran drainage system, although the old engineering plans have been lost years ago and rarely anyone who maintains it really knows what leads where. I found this place by luck actually. Possibly the only one who actually know this tunnel and still use it are the Cardinals."

" How would you know?" Tryzen asked.

" I've seen them around…though I think they never noticed me much," Krayken answered.

" Where does this lead to?" Tryzen asked once more.

" You'll see," Krayken replied, not answering his question.

The four of them moved along the sewers, keeping quiet all the way. Soon enough, Krayken lead them to a crack within a wall, covered with muck and moss over the years, although it bore signs that it had been used before, maybe not recently but it was used before. Krayken slipped deeper into the darkness, able to guide his way into the darkness even without Vermillion's Holy light. They soon reached a dry stony place, and there were steps leading up to a higher area which they were not sure where it really lead them.

Krayken went up the steps and stopped at the top landing. Around them was just a small, cramped circular room that was just enough to fit three people, so Tryzen had to wait at the stairs because there was just not enough space for everyone.

" What's this?! It's a dead end!" Vermillion exclaimed.

" Shut up, extinguish your light and just listen for once," Krayken suggested.

As soon as Vermillion turned off the white light in the palm of her hand, the room was engulfed in darkness, except for a small fissure in the rock wall where a dim orange glow shone through. Now that they have kept silent, they could hear barely audible parts of talking coming from the wall with the fissure. Only Krayken and Serene could hear everything properly.

" How was the search?"

" We are still actively searching for him, but we are more than convinced that he has left the city under such situations. I assume that's only possible with the help of someone else, possibly from the Holy Order, since only…"

" Yes, most likely a priest has helped him…"

" What are our next steps?"

" Keep looking, we are getting information as we speak. I have information coming soon that might give some insight on where he is, then we can make our move."

" How about the disposal of the body?"

" Done, sir. Most of the 'noticeable remains' have been placed into his coffin, and no one will be the wiser."

" Excellent, Jacton. We shall now hope nobody asks any questions."

" What body? What the heck are they talking about?" Vermillion hissed.

" I'm having a feeling that they are referring to Cardinal Crenarius. I can't think of anyone else of yet," Serene answered, straining her ears to listen carefully.

" However, we must tie up a few loose ends."

" Indeed, what loose ends?"

" There have been some questions over the trial, and there is no doubt that there are parties who are questioning this. No doubt we hold absolute power over the judgement, yet I'm afraid there are some persistent people in this case which we should give some fair amount of warning to. For example, our little eavesdropper seemed to have brought a few friends along as well this time."

All four of them froze, even Krayken, as they realised that somehow they had been spotted, although they could not give any explanation on how they were sniffed out. They heard footsteps approaching the wall where they were concealed behind. Krayken silently withdrew his katars, ready to strike just in case something happened.

" Keep that, assassin. You will need to save your strength for later," a voice called behind the wall.

_See-through vision!_, Tryzen thought. _But the only beings that can use see-through visions were…_

" I know that you are here, and allow me to give you a fair bit of warning. You have no power to change things here, and if you persist, you will die painfully, I can assure you that. Now, assuming you live after this, I so sincerely hope that you will not pursue us further. After all, I know who you all are now that I've seen this whole motley crew of foolish beings," someone said.

" Jackass! Who's assuming who's going to live, eh?!" Vermillion yelled, ready to just blast open the walls.

However, Krayken grabbed her arm and ran back, pushing Tryzen backwards and rushing to leave immediately, shoving him backwards. Not too sure what was going on in Krayken's mind, Tryzen backed off, retracing their steps, although it was not really too difficult to do so.

Squeezing out of the crack, Tryzen toppled over as Krayken hurriedly pushed Vermillion out, dropping on top of Tryzen. He hopped out quickly with Serene coming out quickly as well.

" What the hell was that for? I could have just beaten the guy up!" Vermillion replied.

Krayken's answer came in the form of what they saw next. There was a loud grinding noise, like stone being crushed against stone. Tryzen held a palm up, a bright fire lighting the dark passageway they had hopped out from. All of a sudden, they saw the crack magically seal itself up.

" That was close…" Serene sighed.

" Hell, this is getting more complicated," Vermillion exclaimed.

" Yeah, especially with those guys around," Krayken replied, pointing to the left.

Looking down the tunnel, they were not too sure what the shadowy figures they were looking at were. There were four figures standing there, human looking but their pupils were glowing red. Right behind was something that looked like a bundle of rags floating in the middle of the air.

" Are they human?" Serene asked.

" I doubt it! Bring it on!" Vermillion exclaimed, standing in an aggressive pose.

The new arrivals obliged by her request. The three human figures ran forward. Krayken drew out his katars and tried to strike the first one, but it merely dodged and headed for Tryzen. However, Tryzen was already prepared for that. He held out the palm of his hand against the attackers face, his hands crackling with lightning energy.

Problem was that he didn't attack.

" Tryzen, what the hell are you waiting for?!" Serene exclaimed, seeing Tryzen standing in a stationary pose in the middle of the sewer lane.

" He's…he's just human…" Tryzen replied, seeing the lightning sparks in his hand illuminate his attacker's face. A young man, possibly just turning twenty, drew his hand back and threw it right at Tryzen's face, a blade in his curled up fist.


	18. Chapter 17: Unforgiving Circumstances

**Chapter 17: Unforgiving Circumstances**

Serene could care less if the man who was about to sink a twelve inch blade into Tryzen's skull was human or not. If nobody was going to stop him, Tryzen would be a dead man. With her quick elven reflexes, her hand flipped up an arrow from her quiver and her bow was already armed. Her shot took less than a second to be executed.

Her arrow flew straight towards the man, hitting him squarely in his hand. That did not deter him the least, as he continued to bring down his hand at an incredible speed at Tryzen's forehead, even with the arrow pierced through his palm.

Tryzen apparently was not dumbstruck, but merely calculating his attack. Just right before the knife hit him, a powerful burst of fire exploded from the palm of his hand, blasting the person full in the face, knocking him aside. The man's face started to burn severely, but despite his injuries he had sustained so far, he still persisted. He picked himself up and raised his weapon again, his hand bleeding and his face burning horribly.

" They are being controlled!" Vermillion stated the obvious.

" Indeed, and are you going to kill them all?" the Wraith laughed.

As a reply, Krayken whipped out his katars, slicing the one of the hands off the attackers. The man's hand was cut cleanly off his joint. As expected, the man didn't flinch when his arm went sailing into the air, with blood spurting out from his severed limb. His arm fell on the floor, and all of a sudden, started to decay at an increased rate. Soon enough, it represented nothing more than a rotten limb.

" Why does that look so much like a zombies arm?" Vermillion asked.

" Because it is?" Krayken suggested.

" If that's a zombie, how is it being able to sustain itself in its normal form?! Why does it look human!?" Vermillion exclaimed.

The Wraith started chuckling gleefully, then floated away to the deeper parts of the sewers. Soon enough, several more of these 'zombie human' hybrids came up, moving along. The Wraith's laughter could be heard vibrating all over the place.

" Never seen this level of necromancy before…zombifying a body yet animate it in a way to retain its original body. Clearly, we are definitely not facing normal people here, and the Cardinals are more than we have bargained for," Tryzen sighed.

" Somehow I think the Wraith is the one controlling them. He's head is mine!" Vermillion yelled.

" Wait! Don't!" Tryzen exclaimed, trying to stop her, but he failed. Vermillion ran through the wall of zombie hybrids, bull rushing them aside as they tried to close in on her. She knocked a few away with her fists, leaping over a wall and running off to where the Wraith had previously floated off to.

" Wait for me!" Serene yelled, tearing after Vermillion as well.

" Forget it, Tryzen," Krayken replied, grabbing the sleeve of Tryzen's shirt as he tried to make an effort to go after the two girls. " They are competent in holding off for themselves. We have other things we need to focus on now," he replied, waving in the general direction of the hybrid zombies.

Two came up and threw Krayken several punches, and from the style of their attacks, Krayken would have to guess that they were former monks. Krayken dodged their attacks, missing a punch to his face, the knuckle weapon barely missing his eye, before whipping around to rip the guy's chest cavity apart. He carved a large hole through the man before ripping his body to shreds.

" Violent as always," Tryzen said, completing his spell. Krayken felt a ripple in the space around him, and all of a sudden, powerful sparks burst out in large, bright incandescent pillars all around him. Tryzen's Lord of Vermillion spells was really a sight to behold, the lightning strikes blowing off parts of the zombies, leaving burning body wrecks.

" Whew, that was quick…" Tryzen replied, although he was about to regret his words. No sooner than he had said that, the bodies of the zombies started to rise yet again.

" Will this never end?" Tryzen sighed.

-

Serene had apparently underestimated the speed of which Vermillion could travel. Vermillion seemed to disappear into the darkness of the underground sewers in almost an instant. Even with her elven senses, she lost Vermillion within less than thirty seconds, and now she was stuck in the middle of nowhere in the sewers, alone.

She was not too sure where to head to now. After all, it was Krayken who lead them inside the sewers, and it would have been Krayken who would lead them out. However, it looked like she would have to find a way out eventually.

She slowed down to a walk now, her bow out and an arrow ready just in case something sprung out on her suddenly. Keeping an eye and he ears peeled, she walked forward, using her intuition to guide her forward.

All of a sudden, she stopped.

She was not too sure about it, but she was quite sure there was something in front of her. Her vision was short, only able to see about 10 meters clearly in front of her, with anything further than that being covered in darkness without the presence of light. She tried squinting but it didn't work. However, although she could not see or hear whoever or whatever it was, she knew very well that there was someone, or something in front of her.

" Who are you?" Serene declared boldly, her arrow aimed into the darkness.

There was no reply, although Serene's ears picked up something faint. She was too slow, however, to realize what it was.

The Stiletto came flying out of nowhere, and Serene had to thank the person's bad aim that she was able to survive. The blade came flying over towards her, and the edge just managed to strike the side of her forehead. She yelled in pain, and the arrow flew out of her fingers reflexively.

Clutching her bleeding forehead, she heard her arrow hit the end of the wall, followed by the on-coming footsteps of an approaching person. Another knife came flying in her direction, but this time she was ready for it. She leaped back several meters, the knife missing her feet by several centimeters.

A faint silhouette came into view, a human figure. Serene didn't want to wait for him to reach her. She picked herself up immediately and ran off into the opposite direction, clutching her bleeding forehead painfully, as it started to sting painfully now. The footsteps started to sound louder now, and Serene strained her legs to run faster, knowing very well a normal elf could outrun a normal human, if whatever was chasing her was human.

The blood was disturbing her vision, but she ran haphazardly nonetheless. A couple of knives were thrown again, but they missed her completely. She continued to run, her legs sloshing in the dirty muck of the sewers. She started to pant slightly, turning around at a corner.

It would prove to be quite a mistake. What she thought was a turning turned out to be a dead end. Running too quickly, she smacked herself headfirst into the brick wall. She gave a wail of pain, and staggered backwards.

Trying to shake of the stupor, she heard the footsteps approaching her ever so quickly. Still dizzy from the collision, she started drawing arrows as fast as she could and started firing them in the general direction of where the footsteps were coming from. She could hear her arrows clutter all over the place, although she heard a satisfying sound. One of her arrows hit its mark, and she heard someone cry " Shit, that hurt!"

At least whoever that was chasing her was human.

-

" Come and face me, you undead scum!" Vermillion howled, finally catching up the Wraith after a run inside the sewers. She leaped up high in the air, ready to launch a blow on its skull from above.

The Wraith merely turned around and held out its palm. An invisible force struck Vermillion, and it threw her back several meters. She made a back flip in mid-air, landing down perfectly on her feet even though she had been knocked back in the air. She wiped the blood that was trickling out of her mouth, smiling despite the situation.

" Heh, it's a dead end here, punk. Your head is mine," Vermillion snarled, slowly walking towards the direction of the Wraith.

The Wraith howled and blasted something in Vermillion's direction, which she easily avoided with a quick sidestep. She landed a blow on the Wraith's face, knocking it aside. The Wraith tried to bite her with its oversize mouth on its belly, but Vermillion merely gave repeated blows on its body.

Vermillion cried in pain as the Wraith cast a spell, and all of a sudden, there was this rush of pain in her system. Temporarily disabled, the Wraith chomped down hard on her chest. Vermillion staggered back, feeling the poisonous decaying being's teeth pierce her body. The Wraith seemed to be poisoning her system, as she felt that she was slowly loosing strength.

Howling, she grabbing its body and started to promptly beat it repeatedly. Channeling her Holy powers to her fists, she punched it in the gut and released her energy into it, which resulted in a small explosion that separated them. Vermillion staggered back, clutching the area where the Wraith had bitten her, her blood slow trickling out from the wound in her chest.

" You are a funny person…you chose your fists over your Holy magic, when it would be more efficient…" the Wraith commented.

" Magic is for losers!" Vermillion snarled, smiling in a crazy manner. She slowly sealed up all her wounds and recharged her body with her Holy powers. Weakened but still in much of a condition to fight, she threw herself once more against the Wraith, howling a war cry in a way only she could exclaim.

-

Tryzen continued to throw firebolts after firebolts upon the persistent being, finally reducing it to mere brunt crisps, a glowing figure on the murky floor. He had found out that to actually stop them, one had to totally desecrate their bodies completely. When another person launched himself towards Tryzen, Tryzen blew him to smithereens with a single, yet terrifying blast of electricity. The hybrid zombie seemed to absorb the blast for a second, before blowing up to bits, spraying its sticky innards all over the place, which started to decay quickly.

" Surprisingly fast..." Krayken muttered, ripping another zombie to shreds with his katars, the blades tearing into the flesh. He punched his fist, sinking the blades into the zombie, and he followed up by twisting the blades vigorously, cutting open his bowels then tearing at his spine.

" What is?" Tryzen asked.

" Your spell casting...it's faster than normal," Krayken replied.

" Heh, I pride myself in being the fastest spell caster all over the land," Tryzen laughed, blowing another zombie to shreds.

" It's too crowed here, we need some breathing space," Krayken replied, knocking aside a few opponents to make room for him to run. Tryzen wanted to argue, but without Krayken watching his back, he would be surrounded within seconds. He tore after Krayken, as fast as his legs could carry him.

" Slow down, I'm not an assassin, you know," Tryzen lamented, as Krayken seemed to be moving way ahead of him.

" You magicians place too much pride in your magic," Krayken huffed, turning around the corner.

Tryzen held a bright ball of fire in his hands to guide the way, since there was barely any light in the sewers for him to see properly. He thought of extinguishing it earlier to disallow the zombies from knowing his position, but he had a gut feeling that they could find him anyhow, with or without the light.

He almost skidded into Krayken, who had stopped all of a sudden. Raising his hand, the fireball glowed over their heads, shining a path forward, which was met with a dead end.

" Brilliant, this must be our lucky day!" Tryzen mused, looking back to see the zombies coming through, cutting their escape route. " Krayken, I thought your sense of direction is much better than this!"

-

" Don't move, unless you want an arrow in your skull," Serene said, stepping forward after disabling whoever that attacker her temporarily.

" You can't see me," he replied.

" Oh really? I can at this distance, and I can clearly see that you are wearing a vest with two green stripes. Convinced?" Serene asked, pulling the strings of her bow even harder. The man stayed silent, but he rose slowly, his hands up in the air. Serene could see that her arrow had hit his arm.

" What do you think you are doing?" she asked. " Are you with the Cardinals?"

" You seem to know a lot…pity you are a girl, an elf as a matter of fact. Whatever you are getting yourself into isn't pretty, you know…" the man chuckled, a smile appearing on his mouth.

Serene released her arrow, and it hit him hard on his shoulders. He fell back, screaming in pain and grabbing his shoulder, squirming in pain on the floor. Serene roughly placed her boot on top of his chest, pinning him down.

" I hate sexist bastards, you know. Tell me, what is going on here?" Serene demanded.

For a reply, the man pulled out the arrow stuck to his shoulder and lashed out at Serene's feet pinning him down, with Serene taking her leg up just in time. Serene hopped back as the man tried to throw the arrow at her, but since the arrow lacked weight unlike the knives he previously threw, it flew clumsily over her shoulder.

Serene could not risk her life now just to squeeze information out of this man.

The man staggered back with each shot Serene gave. She fired rapidly, the string of her bow twanging loudly in the cavernous sewers. The man fell down on the ground, dead from all the shots. Serene made one shot to his head just to make sure.

" I don't get what's going on here…" Serene replied, trying to wipe away all the blood from her forehead as she tried to backtrack to where she had deviated from.

-

Vermillion started circling the Wraith, waiting for a chance to strike the monster down. The Wraith looked at her warily, patiently waiting for her to make her move.

Tensing up, she ran forward and with a guttural cry, threw a quick punch at it. The Wraith didn't avoid the attack in time, and Vermillion made contact with its bony body, her fist making a delicious sound upon contact with his skeleton exterior. Her years training in martial arts paid off, as she continued to pummel the Wraith with an incredible speed.

The Wraith struck back by his sharp claws, but the gash across her abdomen was of little concern. Vermillion was rather straightforward in her attacks, and also rather tactless. All she cared was to deal as much damage possible with the fist of hers within whatever time limit within range of the enemy. The Wraith bite her, then smacked her in the face to knock her away, but she merely got up again, grinning despite the pain.

" Crazy…" the Wraith muttered, suddenly disappearing. Vermillion's eyes widen in surprise, her head turning all around to find the vanishing enemy.

" Have you run away? Come on out you coward!" Vermillion exclaimed loudly.

All of a sudden she screamed in pain. Painful jolts were fired through her body, and she felt her body starting to burn painfully. The blast of energy blew her away and sent her crashing onto the walls of the sewers. She groaned painfully, her body stinging from the blast as she tried to get up. The Wraith was floating gleefully right in front of her.

" Foolish human…" it replied, laughing gleefully now that it obviously have the upper hand. He raised its arms up and red bolts flew out of it, hitting Vermillion once more. Vermillion yelled in pain, slamming back onto the wall, her body twisting in pain.

" How do you like that?" the Wraith asked, continuing to cast its spell. " Well, I…Argh!"

Vermillion looked up to see what had made the Wraith shout in pain and stop its spell. The Wraith was hovering painfully in the air, holding what looked like two arrows lodged into its skull. Vermillion caught a figure at the far end of the room, but she didn't need to guess who it was.

" You are late!" Vermillion replied.

" I wouldn't be if you didn't ran so fast!" Serene replied, firing more arrows at the undead creature.

" Thanks for the distraction! I'll deal with this bastard now!" Vermillion replied, crackling her knuckles.

" Vermillion, wait!"

But Vermillion was not listening. The previous attack had riled her up, and she was gunning to return the favour, with compounded interest, of course.

She leaped forward towards the distracted Wraith, her hands shining with energy. She started to land blows towards the creature, all the while charging more energy to her hands. Serene watched Vermillion go in a mass of combos, her hands disappearing in a blur as each hit became faster with each passing attack. She gave four final punches, each bursting in bright, white light, before she landed one final one that, literally, blew up. Serene had to cover her face to shield herself from the blast.

When it settled down, she saw Vermillion standing with her fist still out, panting heavily and bleeding all over, but grinning despite the situation she was in. Still smiling, she fell back from exhaustion, in which Serene promptly ran to her immediately.

" That was fun! I never had so much of a fight this good for some time now…" Vermillion laughed upon seeing Serene looking worriedly above her, glancing aside to see what remained of the Wraith. The explosive force had blown the undead creature to smithereens, and now only small skeletal parts remained.

" Are you crazy? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Serene exclaimed.

" Sorry, Serene. I'm too much of a masochist..." Vermillion sighed, trying to sit up. Using whatever was left of her strength, she tried to heal her wounds.

" You are an idiot..." Serene replied.

" Where's Tryzen and Krayken?" Vermillion asked.

-

" Oh, boy..." Tryzen sighed as he took several steps back of his remaining free space he had behind him. He had lost count of how many firebolts he had casted. He feared casting anything too powerful just in case the old, ancient walls of the sewers don't hold against such force, but from the looks of the zombies who were edging closer and closer it looked like he was running dry of other options.

" Persistent bastards..." Krayken mused, his katars swinging in a blur. He was now bathed in a dark, dirty crimson hue from all the zombies he had ripped apart with his katars. He was getting visibly tired from slashing against the dead bodies so much. He tried to save his energy by decapitating the zombies to disable them quickly, but it proved slightly tricky with the short reach of his weapons.

Tryzen backed up too more steps, feeling the wall behind him with his back. Things did not look very good, and he decided the timing was perfect for him to not bring his supply of Butterfly Wings.

" Damn the foundations of this sewers! If it breaks after I cast this, then so be it," Tryzen muttered, his hands moving in a flurry of seals to cast his intended spell. Krayken felt the same tremendous surge of energy coming from Tryzen, and all the flames that were gathering around the palms of his hands was really tense.

A large wall of fire erupted all around Tryzen, and with a pushing movement, Tryzen launched the massive wall of fire towards the zombies, they howled in what sounded like pain, and the smell of burning flesh could be smelt, an intoxicating aroma tickling their nostrils.

However, the force of the blast did what Tryzen expected it to do. The ancient stone walls of the sewers could not hold, and Tryzen caught a glimpse of the sewer's ceiling fall over him.

-

Melanie walked with great determination, her greaves clanking loudly over the stone corridors of the army barracks. She had just recently returned with her platoon from their investigation of the outer villagers. Not only that she had yielded any results, but there are also other things bothering her as well.

She needed someone to talk to personally. And that someone was Deinnelle Zelkenia, her Division Commander, who was also her mentor and close friend.

Imagine to her surprise to see instead of Deinnelle Zelkenia in her own room, she saw another of her Division Commanders.

" Commander Aesis, what the hell are you doing here?!" Melanie exclaimed, seeing her superior officer in the room.

Aesis Crenilia, the supreme commander of the Royal Army of Rune-Midguard, the man who sat at the top post in the military, could only turn around and grin sheepishly at Melanie.

" Aye, well...Deinnelle asked me to take care of her stuff, so that's why I am here," Aesis replied, scratching his head as if he did something wrong.

Aesis was well-built for his class, a Lord Knight. He was one average a head taller than the average person, and his thin frame actually hid a sinewy body that allowed him to wield two two-handed swords at once. Melanie had seen him fight before, and she had to agree wholeheartedly that Aesis was indeed the best warrior there was all over Rune-Midguard.

His history was much of a mystery. Nobody knew where he had came from, and he had never bothered to even tell anyone of his origins. Melanie found it hard to trust anyone whom she didn't know there birthplace, but she had no rank to argue that topic with her superior. The most she found out was that he was thirty this year, entered the army as a swordsman when he was twenty and was previously in love with their previous 1st Division commander, the post he is holding right now, which he lost in the previous war.

Aesis almost always had a smile on his face, to whoever he was facing, with the exception when he was fighting or when he was angry about something. Melanie had always thought that he smiled too much for his own good. Right now, he was giving her one of his usual smiles: calm, comforting, and genuine.

" You of all people should know why she is not here...have you forgotten what day today is?" Aesis asked, sitting down on the arm of one of Deinnelle's sofas.

" Yes, how could I forgot..." Melanie mused, turning away. She had been quite caught up in the recent events she had forgotten today was an important day in her superior commander's calendar. It was the day she always visited her family...

" Sorry for the intrusion then. Excuse me," Melanie hurriedly replied, bowing slightly then tried to leave quickly.

" Why did you come?" Aesis asked in an offhanded fashion.

" What?" Melanie asked, turning around, wondering what the question was all about.

" You came storming in here with a perplexed expression on your face...yes, you must admit your expressions are really easy to read. I do know you confide in Deinnelle a lot, and you two are more than a mentor and a student, but if it is possible, I could act in her place...if you wish..."

Melanie raised her eyebrows.

Aesis raised his arms up, as if signifying he was giving up or something. " Sorry, what am I thinking. I won't ask for your personal problems...unless it's related to the military, that is," Aesis replied.

Melanie had a bad habit of being unable to lie. So, she kept silent, which was about an equivalent as a yes.

" So, it is...pray, sit down and let me here it," Aesis replied, motioning to a chair nearby.

-

" So, how was the meeting?" Teranis asked.

" Brief and short," Selene replied, closing the door of her room behind her tightly shut. " Well, I do know now that a man named Tryzen 'Blitz' Manaloth is working alongside two of Azaroth's friends, Vermillion and Serene, to figure out what is happening as well. The thing is, he thinks it would be safer to work separately than to work together, so I'm back here without him."

" 'Blitz'? How the heck did some random swordsman like Azaroth know such a man?!" Teranis exclaimed.

" Tryzen comes from one of the outer villages outside Prontera, so no surprise there. Besides, I think there is more than meets the eye," Selene replied.

" What do you mean?"

" Azaroth isn't just some random swordsman. Well, I don't think so," Selene replied.

Teranis sighed, leaning back on her chair. Selene spotted that Teranis had taken out her books and was partially perusing them, all of them filled with intricate formulas only an alchemist like her would truly understand and appreciate. Selene sat down quietly next to her friend, who was now looking absentmindedly out of her window.

" What should we do now?" Selene asked.

" We could look at that bunch of people gathering out there..." Teranis replied.

" What?!" Selene exclaimed, wondering what had overcome her friend.

Teranis immediately got up and walked to the window. Mildly curious, Selene followed her and looked out the window, trying to see what she was looking at.

Apparently, it was a group of priests and monks who had gathered at the back of the church nearby that had piped her interest, although it is strange to see such a group of people from the Holy Order waiting behind the church. Selene started to ponder on what where they doing there when a few other people caught her eye, and her jaw dropped.

The three cardinals who were present at Azaroth's 'trial' walked up to them from the back of the church, along with a couple of High Priests. One of them waved his hands, and several of their number started to open warp portals. Within several seconds, none of them were left.

" Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Teranis mused quietly.

" ...No, but I don't think...they might have..." Selene muttered.

" What?" Teranis demanded.

" What are the odds that they somehow figured that Azaroth is in Morroc?" Selene asked frantically.

" Why did you suddenly think of him?" Teranis asked.

" Cause I can think of no other explanation for the cardinals to leave like this!" Selene exclaimed, opening a warp portal in her room. " Come on, we need to go to Morroc and find Azaroth!"


	19. Chapter 18: The Morrocan Hunt

**Chapter 18: The Morrocan Hunt**

Azaroth lazed around in the room, not too sure what to do now. He was now flipping a knife up in the air over and over again, each time catching it precariously with his fingers on the blades end. He picked up this habit from Grimjaw, who could be seen doing it once in a while.

It had been quiet, and Azaroth tried to appreciate the tranquillity. He had not attacked or killed anyone in the last few days, with Grimjaw leaving him in his home most of the time. The need to pull out his sword was itching him badly, and Meillienne could obviously see that.

" You seem restless," she noted, stirring the stew that was supposed to be their lunch.

" Yes, indeed I am," Azaroth replied, not even bothering to hid his disappointment.

" I'm sure things will be resolved quickly enough…you just have to be patient," Meillienne replied.

Azaroth wasn't too sure how long he could actually wait. Part of his mind was already getting bored with all this. Throwing the knife he had up once more, he kept it in its sheath and tossed it roughly aside, dropping back down on the floor to get some sleep.

" That must be Grimjaw, maybe you could ask him to take you out," Meillienne suggested, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. Azaroth merely grunted when Meillienne got up to answer the door, in which Grimjaw was now knocking softly on the door outside.

Azaroth went back to sleep, before realising that something did not sound right. He got up and looked at Meillienne, who was standing by the door, looking straight ahead as if she was looking through the door. Not only did she not open the door, she stood there petrified, fear obvious in her eyes. Very slowly, she took several steps backwards.

" Meillienne?" Azaroth asked softly, wondering what had happened to frighten her so badly.

" Grimjaw never knocks…" she whimpered.

Sensing something amiss, Azaroth replied " Meillienne, go and hide somewhere." She quickly ran back into her room, locking it silently. Azaroth slowly drew out his swords.

All of a sudden, the front door burst open, and if this was Grimjaw's idea of a joke, Azaroth was not laughing. He could hear Meillienne's muffled scream somewhere at the sound of the crashing door. Two assassins stepped in, their katars flashing, their eyes roving around, clearly not with good intentions.

Azaroth started to think back on why these people were attacking him, as Grimjaw had said any attack made in the Dune was punishable by death, but it did not matter now. The first assassin saw his Tsurugi blade flash before his eyes, his katars flying upwards at a speed only an assassin could manage to block the blow. He was unable to block the inertia Azaroth had applied, sending both of them crashing into the wall.

Azaroth elbows him in the face, although the soft sound of someone approaching prevented him from doing any further damage to the assassin. He spun around just in time to receive a round-house kick to his face from the other assassin, sending him sprawling over the place.

The assassin slammed his katars down upon Azaroth hard, pinning him down with the swords he used to parry the attack. The first one he knocked over had now recovered from the blow, and since his partner was effectively pinning him down on the floor, started to kick Azaroth in the gut. Azaroth gagged, feeling the numbing pain flow all over from the point of contact. The second attack was so hard he tasted blood in his mouth.

With a roar, he threw his arms powerfully outwards, throwing both assassins back, making them loose their balance. Seeing his chance, he wasted no time in brutally ripping his attackers to shreds, slashing madly at their prone bodies, splattering blood all over the place.

He heard more sounds from the outside, and he took a quick peek outside. Several people were running all over the place. One saw him and immediately said " There he is!"

" Azaroth, what's going on?" Meillienne asked, her voice sounding terrified as she poked her head out of the room when the noises had subsided a bit.

Azaroth could not believe it. Now a whole bunch of Morrocan assassins and rogues were after his head. It looks like the Holy Order was already on his trail, although it was way sooner than he could have envisioned. He had no other reasons for them being here. However, they were only after him. There was certainly no need to endanger Meillienne.

" Stay here and don't move! They are after me! Lock yourself in that room!" Azaroth commanded, tearing out through the broken door.

-

Grimjaw threw a small bag of zenny onto Tryhayren's table. She picked it up and examined it carefully, then gave Grimjaw a reproachful stare.

" Look, it was all they had., and I had to milk them dry for that. No complaints now, right?" he sighed.

" How do I know you didn't keep some of it?" Tryhayren asked.

Grimjaw walked off, lighting a cigarette. " You know me too well, Tryhayren. I can never lie to you," he replied, waving his hand. He heard Tryhayren chuckle slightly as he went out into the bar area, closing the wooden door behind him.

" Strange…" the rogue how stood guard by Tryhayren's door said all of a sudden.

" What so strange about me?" Grimjaw growled.

" I wasn't talking about you…I said it was strange to see so many people leaving the Dune all at once," he replied pointing to the general direction of the crowd. Indeed, almost twenty people had left their seats, some even leaving their drinks unfinished. It looked very organised. Too organised, in fact.

Grimjaw's knives were already out when he ran towards the exit. His worse fears were confirmed when the rock concealing where he stayed had been pried open, footsteps leading towards the inner parts of the underground cavern. Grimjaw tore towards the direction of where his house stood.

There were random blood splatters all over the place, but no bodies. It looked like a fight had just taken place recently. The door of his house was left wide open, broken from its hinges.

" Meillienne! Azaroth!" Grimjaw yelled tearing into his house. He stumbled upon tow bodies, which made his heart leap. He calmed down a second later when he realised that they were not Azaroth and Meilliennes'.

A soft creak attracted his attention. He saw the door of Meillienne's room open slowly, then a scared face took a tentative look at whoever who had just called her name. Grimjaw went up to his sister immediately, looking all over, glad she was unharmed.

" What happened?" he demanded. " Where's Azaroth?!"

" Some men came, Azaroth said they were after him...and he asked me to stay here," Meillienne whimpered, close to tears. Grimjaw hugged her close as she burst into tears on his chest.

" Meillienne, I know you are scared, but I need to stay here, alright? I need to go and find Azaroth," Grimjaw said, softly prying her fingers off his shoulder.

" Will he be alright?" she asked.

" He will be, I promise..." Grimjaw replied. Meillienne nodded quietly and wiped her tears away as Grimjaw ran off to find where Azaroth had ran off to.

-

Azaroth tore through the maze-like underground cavern, randomly running around and trying not to hit the wall from the lack of light around the place. A whole load of people, about more than ten were right by his heels. He made a few passing slashes just to keep them off his back for a while as he tried desperately to find an exit. Grimjaw had told hi whatever route he chose would take him out of the cavern anyway, it just depended on where he would end up.

He twisted around the corner just fast enough to miss a thrown dagger to his feet. Azaroth had been puzzled by their attacks. All their thrown weapons had been to either his feet or his arms, and their attacks were mainly centred around disabling him, not aiming for his vital points. Does this mean that they wanted him alive? If so why?

He threw his arm back and smashed hard upon one of the stone walls, his blade shattering a part of the wall and making it collapse all over the place. Some of the assassins backed off to avoid the falling chunks of rock, allowing Azaroth some more time to smash other parts of the wall, bringing down more rocks all over him. He dove out of the way just in time to avoid the rocks hitting him. Seeing that he had stalled them temporarily, he made his way along the tunnel, unsure where it would lead him.

Footsteps could be heard right behind him, indicating that his pursuers were on to him pretty quick. Azaroth ran even faster, willing his now tired legs to move. If they wanted him so badly, then they would very well have to pay of it.

There was a spot of light somewhere, and he took off, leaping out from the exit. The first thing that greeted him was the line of buildings made from sand. He had ended up somewhere quite close to the city. It wasn't quite the exit he hoped. He had wanted an exit that actually lead him to the outer desert, so he could escape. Sure, it would mean he'd have to risk the elements of the desert, but then whoever who is chasing him might not be so tempted to chase after him under the hot sun.

An assassin came out, almost hitting Azaroth as he stood staring at the edges of the city for too long. He backed off a several paces, and by the time he did that, more people had appeared, swarming out of the exit. Azaroth started to mutter expletives under his breath.

" Do not try to resist us, criminal. Come back quietly and we promise a quick death," a voice behind him replied.

Azaroth turned around to look at who was speaking to him. A man wearing what looked like priest, yet dressed differently. His robes were coloured in a mix of crimson and white, and it looked much more intricate then the regular priest attire. He wore, strangely, one white glove on his left hand and a black one on the other.

" Even a high priest came to escort me back. I'm honoured," Azaroth replied sarcastically.

" Your humour will be much dully noted, but I must ask you to surrender," the high priest said, looking at Azaroth. It looked like he had walked out of from the city. He was closely followed by a few members of the Holy Order, flanked by two priestesses and two monks.

" Resorting to the petty people of Morroc to capture me...you seem desperate..." Azaroth said.

" Desperate times call for desperate needs. In fact, we are in fact pretty worried in how to handle you, since you could escape from the dungeon you were placed in. Granted, people have escaped before, but really, it shows that you have remarkable skill," the High Priest replied.

Azaroth pointed his sword at him. " I must repeat myself...you have the wrong person, you are chasing for the wrong person. You have the wrong person here!" he declared loudly.

" No, I think we have the right person just right here," he replied smirking. He made a waving movement with his hands, and all the rogues and assassins started to converge upon him at once. Azaroth spun around to parry one of their blows, but felt something fly in the air, and all of a sudden he came face-to-face with an assassin with a knife sticking out of his head. He had his eyes rolled up, and he dropped to the floor a few seconds later with a resounding thump on the sand, his blood colouring the floor crimson.

" Grimjaw!" Azaroth exclaimed, seeing the rogue standing by the exit.

" Hmm, never told me you were this popular," Grimjaw sighed, lighting a cigarette.

" Strike them both, but I want Azaroth alive!" the High Priest exclaimed loudly.

All the assassins and rogues swarmed in upon them immediately. Azaroth leaped back to gain some breathing space, striking his swords in long arcs to keep his enemies at bay. Most of the attackers made quick sidesteps, avoiding his attacks and moving right behind him, confusing him with their ever changing position. Three knives flew in his direction, and he had not enough reflexes to block all of them, one of them hitting him by the side of his face.

" They are after you...get out of here while I keep them at bay!" Grimjaw exclaimed, kicking aside one of the rogue to get to Azaroth's position. He grabbed him by the chest and pulled him aside, barging through a whole load of rogues until he ran to the side of the entire group.

" You can't be serious..." Azaroth replied as Grimjaw drew out his knives, bracing himself for the attack.

" Look, I'm not trying to be a hero here," Grimjaw growled, leaping forward to parry the blow of one of the assassins. " I need you to get out of here so I can leave as well. I'm not heroic enough to just sacrifice my life just to let you leave. Now go!"

Azaroth wanted to say something, but Grimjaw started to rip his way into their ranks, splashing crimson all over the place as he started to brutally massacre all that stood in his way. " Thanks..." Azaroth replied wordlessly.

Grimjaw slammed his blades into one of the rogues clavicles, watching rather gleefully at all the blood that started to spill out of the man's wounds. Exerting some force, he ripped the man's chest apart, spilling blood all over himself as he opened the poor man up. Two assassins figured it was prudent to attack him now, but realised that it was to their mistake as Grimjaw slashed his blades across their necks.

" Leave this man to me...make sure that you capture Azaroth Crimson," the High Priests replied.

" You all aren't going anywhere!" Grimjaw exclaimed, trying to strike the nearest rogue who started to run after Azaroth. He didn't manage to hit him at all. All he saw was a bright flash of light and he was knocked back violently, rolling all over the sandy ground. Grimjaw tried to pick himself up, but felt that his chest was stinging all of a sudden.

" Oh, I think you will be the one who will be staying here," the High Priests replied, stepping forward.

" Shit!" Grimjaw groaned, coughing out some blood. That was just one single hit from a Holy Light attack, but it already pained him greatly. There was indeed quite a gap between a rogue and one of the most potent Holy magic users of the Holy Order. Grimjaw quickly tried to pick himself up quickly, but the High Priests stepped right next to him and kneed him in the gut, making Grimjaw's vision spin all of a sudden.

" I'm surprised a rogue like you would even associate yourself with a man like Azaroth," the High Priests chuckled. " What is it in for you?"

" Why in hell do you want to know?" Grimjaw growled back.

" Just curious, my friend," the High Priests replied, raising his hands.

-

Azaroth ran through the city, random people looking at him, avoiding him as there was this whole group of rogues and assassins chasing him from behind. Grimjaw had promised to hold them back, but it looked like it was not too effective. Azaroth still tore through the city nonetheless.

All of a sudden, a whole load of people stepped up right in front of him. Azaroth skidded to a halt, seeing a line of crusaders and monks block his way. Azaroth could not believe their presence being here. Not only was it puzzling that they even knew he was here after such a short amount of days, but precisely knew his exact location. Someone must have tipped them off.

The crusaders drew out their swords and shields while the monks readied themselves in a stance, getting ready to attack. Azaroth realised he was stuck, the road behind him cut off from the on-coming group of bloodthirsty killers, while the Holy Order stood barring his way. Leaving no other option, he held up his weapon and dashed at the closest crusader, his arms drawn back to strike.

-

" Where are we in Morroc?" Teranis asked.

" Some where on the outskirts…see anything?" Selene asked desperately, scanning the far horizon for any signs of Azaroth, although that might be asking too much.

" Indeed, I see sand everywhere," Teranis moaned, trying to shake off the sand that had gotten stuck in her boots.

" Teranis!" Selene exclaimed.

" Look, we can't expect him to still be here, right? You sent him here days ago. If we are to find him, we need to find him, which might be harder than we can imagine, since he is most likely to be keeping a quiet profile here," Teranis answered.

" The Holy Order, or those that came, already know where he is," Selene replied.

" Makes sense, if not they wouldn't come here in such a fashion," Teranis replied. " I suggest that we look over there," she said, pointing to the distance. Selene looked at where she was pointing at. Far off in the distance, there were flashes of bright white light at the edge of the city. Selene and Teranis immediately tore towards that direction.

-

Grimjaw was pretty much surprised that his vision was returning. He had some vague memory of being hit by a powerful spell that possibly left him dead for good. He heard some laughter, some mention of Azaroth and the dimming footsteps of the High Priest. Thus, he was quite unable to explain why he was suddenly regaining his vision, not too mention the crippling pain he felt in his chest earlier was diminishing.

" Brother…"

" Meillienne!? What the hell are you doing here?!" Grimjaw demanded, seeing his sister bent over his body. He forced himself up, straining his injuries and hurting himself in the process.

" Don't move…" she pleaded.

" Hell, I was asking why are you here!" Grimjaw lashed out, loosing his patience.

Meillienne recoiled, as if being bitten. Grimjaw immediately regretted his outburst. It wasn't that she purposely came here to endanger herself. He saw tears starting to form in her eyes.

" I just came…because I was worried…and…and when I saw you on the ground…I thought…I thought…" she started sobbing.

Grimjaw hugged her closely, holding her head close to his chest as she started to sob." I'm sorry, Meillienne, I didn't mean to shout...I was just...worried..."

" Where's Azaroth?" Meillienne asked.

" I don't know...I was out for sometime now," Grimjaw replied. He tried to pick himself up. " I was supposed to hold back several people for him. Looks like I sucked."

" You aren't healed yet!" Meillienne exclaimed, placing her hand on his chest. Grimjaw felt the soft, tingling sensation of her pulsing her energies through his chest, sealing up the internal injuries he had suffered, albeit very slowly.

" Hurry up...I need to help Azaroth," Grimjaw replied.

" Don't, you are not in the position to help him. You have been..."

" Don't tell me what to do..." Grimjaw replied.

" Why?"

" Because I need to. Now, I appreciate you coming here, but now I absolutely forbid you to come. Go back to your room, and stay there until I get back...and I promise to return in one piece. Do we have a deal?" Grimjaw asked.

" But..."

" Do we have a deal?" he interrupted.

Meillienne looked at him with sad, confused eyes, but she obediently nodded her head.


	20. Chapter 19: Holy Order's Darkness

**Chapter 19: Holy Order's Darkness**

Azaroth gritted his teeth as he whipped his blades hard upon the crusader's shield. His strike was met with some resistance, and a sword reached out of nowhere to cut him in the head. Azaroth twisted his head aside, missing the blow by inches. Several monks started to swarm into his position trying to flank him. He dropped to his knees and launched himself at one of them, surprising him totally as he collided painfully into the person.

As soon as his feet made contact with the sandy floor, he pushed himself away and tried to run through the crowd he had just barely broken through. A crusader smashed his shield into him, toppling Azaroth to the ground, but he was quick to recover, springing to his feet within a second on touching the ground.

He tore away from the crowd. His situation was rather hopeless. If they were persistent enough to chase him all the way here, there was barely anywhere else he could run to.

No sooner than he had barely escaped the crowd, something hit him hard in the chest, painfully hard. Azaroth felt stunned as a tremendous force smashed into his chest, throwing him off his feet and dropping him aside on the floor in a heap. He tried to get up, but his entire body was stinging in pain. As he tried to raise his arm, someone came up and stepped down hard on his sword.

" The chase is over, my friend," the High Priest Azaroth met earlier said to him, leering at him.

Azaroth tried to retaliate, but other members of the Holy Order began to swarm all over him. In an instant, he was relieved of his weapons and had his limbs pinned down, several blades pressed down on the back of his neck. Azaroth groaned slightly, figuring the game was up. _Isn't this what you asked for, a little freedom?!_ He scolded himself.

Something came up in his mind all of a sudden. _Wasn't Grimjaw supposed to hold this guy back?_

The High Priest seemed to read his thoughts. " I've taken care of your rogue friend of yours," he answered.

" Damn it!" Azaroth exclaimed, but someone promptly pushed his head down into the sand, silencing him immediately. Something hit him hard at the back of his neck, and he lost consciousness soon after that.

-

" God, I hate the desert!" Teranis scowled, feeling the sand go into her boots again. Tracking across the sandy desert with sand in her footwear made it really irritating to move about, but Selene was not put off with that. Teranis tried to keep up with her friend, who was marching furiously across the desert plain.

" Just walk, Teranis," Selene commanded. Teranis huffed and followed closely behind Selene, the odd pair travelling across the Morrocan desert. Teranis couldn't avoid the sand going into her footwear, so she decided to forget about it and just trudge through the sand, figuring she would be able to take care of the problem later when they get out of the desert.

Teranis suddenly lurched forward when Selene suddenly pressed her hand hard on her gut to stop her. " Ouff…what's the big idea?"

Selene pointed to the distance. Glancing several meters ahead of them while they were safely hidden behind a sand dune, both of them saw the three cardinals standing in the middle of the desert, as if they were waiting, all three of them turning their heads once in a while, as if knowing somehow that something would crop up.

" Well, we have found the cardinals…but the rest of the troop seems to be missing," Teranis mused.

" They must be off searching for Azaroth…but this is strange. The cardinals are standing there as if they are expecting them to find Azaroth soon," Selene replied.

" I wouldn't blame them…" Teranis answered, pointing to the distance at the direction of the city.

Selene took a look and gasped loudly. A small troop of crusaders, monks and priests emerged from the city, lead by High Priest Selendrial Procain, one of the High Priests in the order. Right in the middle of the group, the limp body of Azaroth Crimson could be seen, being carried by two crusaders. Right behind them was a number of assassins and rogues.

" What the hell is going on?" Selene whispered.

-

Grimjaw moved through the back alleys of Morroc, careful to keep away from the crowd. It wasn't too difficult to track down where Azaroth went. After all, it was easy to spot footsteps on the sandy floor, and the marks of the greaves worn by crusaders are very obvious on the sandy floor compared to other footmarks.

Still slightly dizzy from pain, Grimjaw followed the small trail. He was quick to pick up the trail, and soon enough he reached the outskirts of the city where the group was leaving. Some people had gathered around to see what had happened, but none were brave enough to try to investigate what made a bunch of people from the Holy Order come all the way to Morroc. Grimjaw slipped through the crowd, and exited to the desert, following the group closely.

They apparently stopped by three other old men who were waiting some distance away from the city. Grimjaw could take a guess that they were the ones who organised this hunting trip and was overall in-charge of the operation. He dropped his body down flat on the ground, careful to conceal his presence behind a small wall of sand.

His eyes immediately searched through their ranks to look for Azaroth. He spotted him being carried by two crusaders, apparently unconscious. Rescuing him from this situation would be really problematic, not to mention besides the people from the Holy Order, there were an assortment of rogues and assassins as well gathered here.

" We have captured the subject," the High Priest that had bested Grimjaw earlier said to the three old men in general. Grimjaw took a closer look at them. He was suddenly reminded of the Cardinals of the church, but he had no reason to think of why the cardinals would even want to come here.

" Excellent, it looks like our search here is complete," one of the old men said. Grimjaw tried to contemplate his next move while staying as low as possible out of sight. Whatever weird event that was happening now was not for him to answer. Retrieving Azaroth has a higher priority here.

" What about our payment?" one of the assassins asked boldly, stepping up to the old man.

" What?" the High Priest asked.

" You promised payment for our cooperation in this matter," the assassin replied. His companions nodded. Grimjaw had to agree as well. If the assassins or rogues weren't promised some form of reward, it was highly unlikely that they would even bother about these people.

" Of course, payment...how could we forget..." one of the cardinals said. All three cardinals suddenly raised their hands.

" Here!" all of them shrieked in a voice that was unlike any human. Grimjaw's eyes suddenly widened in horror as a powerful, demonic energy surged around the three old men, bright red sparks flying out of their fingers. The assassins and rogues only had a second to contemplate the horror of their predicament before the three men unleashed the unholy powers on their hapless bodies.

Grimjaw covered his ears as there was a loud, jarring cry of pain and agony as the demonic bolts hit the men, all of them crying painfully. The thick smell of burning flesh could be tasted in the air, and it was thicker than anything he had ever experienced in his life. Several bodies flew in his direction, falling all over him. All of them had charred, burning holes in their bodies, and despite having bloody cavities hollowed out at different areas of their bodies, the fact was all of them dropped dead.

_Who the hell are these people?!_

_- _

" Holy shit!" Teranis yelled. Selene wasn't too sure what in the world was happening at the moment. All of a sudden, the three cardinals raised their arms up and bolts of demonic energy shot out like lightning, piercing all the assassins and rogues painfully, blowing holes through their soft, fleshy bodies. Some tried to run away, but they were not swift enough and they were so close to them, they were killed off within seconds.

Selene could only watch in horror as the cardinals mercilessly killed off the Morrocan people in such a brutal, animalistic fashion. She couldn't fathom the look of joy on their faces as they mercilessly killed them one by one, watching them squirm to their deaths agonisingly on the floor. _These are not the cardinals I know...who are these monsters?!_

It became clear to them in an instant. It was apparent that these are monsters or demonic creatures within their ranks in the Holy Order. How or when they came to become one in their order was unimaginable. Selene just couldn't fathom how they could even stay in their ranks for so long. Did they kill off the former cardinals and disguised themselves as one of them, or were they already like that all along? Moreover, it looked like they had orchestrated the entire play all along, possibly from Cardinal Crenarius's death, or most likely murder, to Azaroth's trial.

As soon as the cardinals have stopped, the rest of the members of the Holy Order looked back at their superiors aghast, unable to believe what had just happened. " You...you are not human!" one of the priests cried out loudly. It was apparent from their reaction that not all the members of the Holy Order that followed were in their league. But, this would only mean one thing...

Chuckling, the cardinals now turned their attention towards the members of the Holy Order. Within the next few seconds, they unleashed their powers on their own people, blasting bolts into their bodies. Even the crusader's armour was of no match to their unholy power.

" Selene, no!" Teranis exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing Selene tightly, seeing as she was about to run down towards them.

" No, they can't do this! Why are they killing them?!" Selene howled.

" Are you blind?! Can't you very well see what the heck they are doing!? They'll kill you in an instant!" Teranis objected, trying to hold Selene back the best she could.

" No, they are my comrades! No!" Selene howled, not realising that tears were running down her cheeks.

-

" You can't be serious...they are killing off their companions as well..." Grimjaw gasped, seeing the brutality. It took several seconds before the old men were done. Grimjaw was now too shocked to react. Within the last minute, they had now reduced the group to the three old men, the High Priest and a couple of crusaders carrying Azaroth plus a priest.

" Now that the excess baggage has been disposed off, I believe we can return back and settle our problems," one of the old men said.

" Indeed," the High Priest agreed. The remaining priest opened up a warp portal and one by one, all of them entered. They left the area within a minute, leaving only bloodied corpses and gore around the surrounding area.

Grimjaw slumped back to the sandy ground where he was hiding, breathing a sigh of relief mixed with fear. Whoever these people were, they were obviously not normal. That kind of power was only obtainable from the demonic realms, and they had to be demons in fact. Grimjaw felt himself shaking from fear, something he had not experienced in a long time.

He almost jumped in fright as he heard a sound. It came from where the cardinals once stood before leaving in the warp portal. His hand immediately went for his knives, and he had two of them drawn out in a flash. He calmed down a moment later. The sound he heard was the sound of someone crying.

Grimjaw risked a peek from his position. Right in the middle of the massacre were two people. One was a priestess, who was right now sobbing over the fallen people, most noticeably another priestess. Another was an alchemist who was standing behind the priestess, taking a look around the place with a sombre look on her face. _Who are these people?_

" What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?" the priestess asked her companion.

" I don't know...right now looking at the scale, it's rather unbelievable," the alchemist replied.

" Damn them! Damn them all!" the priestess suddenly exclaimed vehemently, sounding very violent now as she got to her feet in an instant.

" Hang on here, I know you are upset because those freaking cardinals...well, technically, I don't think they are cardinals...those monsters or whoever they, are killed your comrades, we need to slow down and think here. They have gotten Azaroth now...what should we do next?" the alchemist argued.

" I don't know...we came here to help him...would that mean that we need to save him from their clutches now?" the priestess asked.

Grimjaw had heard enough to guess they were acquaintances of Azaroth. He slowly stood up to make his presence known to them. The alchemist spotted him first, then bracing herself as her hand went towards her bag, possibly to get hold of one of her concoctions

" Hold it...I'm not one of them...I am also a friend of Azaroth whom you speak," the rogue replied, holding his hands up in defence. " I'm not here to fight you...I just want to talk."

" How can we believe you?" Teranis exclaimed.

" Selene, is it? That's your name right...Azaroth has told me a bit about you..." the rogue said, directing his speech towards the priest. Selene looked up in surprise when he mentioned her name.

-

Meillienne looked up suddenly as she heard someone walk in through the door of her home. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief as she heard her brother call out her name. She got picked herself up from the corner she had been hiding in and ran for the door was she saw Grimjaw open it.

" You are alright!" she exclaimed happily, running up to him and engulfing him in a hug. Grimjaw winced slightly in pain as she collided rather painfully into him, but he was not one to complain.

" Who is this?" a female voice asked. Meillienne turned around to see two women standing behind Grimjaw, one of them a priest and the another an alchemist.

" My sister, Meillienne. She stays here with me," Grimjaw answered Selene, rubbing her head subconsciously.

" Brother, why did you bring a priest here? Is she getting us out of here?" Meillienne asked.

" And what am I? Invisible?" Teranis scowled as Meillienne left her out of her sentence.

" Maybe...Meillienne, go prepare some drinks for our guests," Grimjaw replied. Meillienne immediately went off towards the kitchen to make some tea. Sighing, Grimjaw walked up to the edge of the wall and leaned on it. " Forgive me, I don't have chairs in my home. You can sit anywhere on the floor."

" Why did you help Azaroth? Are you a friend of his?" Selene asked.

" You could say that, although that was 'after' he arrived," Grimjaw answered.

" So why did you help him?" Teranis asked, sitting down on the floor, crossing her legs.

" Because I just felt like it," Grimjaw repeated himself.

" Because my brother has more morals than the other rogues you know who wander around in the streets of Morroc," Meillienne interjected from the kitchen.

" Nobody asked for your opinion," Grimjaw shot back.

" ...It wasn't an opinion..."

" Shut up and don't argue with me!" Grimjaw snapped back.

" Touché," Selene mused.

" Anyway, what was with those old men, the ones you refer to as cardinals?!" Grimjaw asked.

" I had no idea as well...I didn't realise what they actually were until today..." Selene admitted.

" I see..." Grimjaw replied. " What do you intend to do next?"

" Well, for one thing, it should be obvious that we will need to go back to Prontera anyway, since Azaroth is no longer here anyway. We came initially when we got wind that the people from the Holy Order were coming all the way here...well, for reasons which we guessed correctly," Teranis answered.

Selene turned her head around to see Meillienne peeking out from the kitchen. " Um, could we come as well?" she asks after a while.

" Why?" Selene asked.

" We have no reason to stay here in this hellhole. I wish to help Azaroth as well, and currently that would be impossible by being here," Grimjaw replied. He looked solemnly at both Selene and Teranis. " That is, of course, if you want to take us along."


	21. Chapter 20: Back in Prontera

**Chapter 20: Back in Prontera**

Tryzen groaned in pained as soon as he woke up. He had lost track of time since he made the sewer walls collapse all over him. He found it rather strange that he was lying down on a soft mattress somewhere, relatively alive if he was capable of feeling pain at this time. However, he certainly did not expect to be smacked hard on his head as soon as he woke up.

" Damn jackass! Were you trying to get us all killed?!" Vermillion exclaimed angrily. She was about to hit Tryzen yet again when Serene and Krayken stepped in to stop her from dealing anymore damage.

" After what you just did, I'm thinking maybe I should have considered that..." Tryzen replied gloomily. He took a good look around. They were back at Vermillion's quarters at the monastery, and Tryzen was propped nicely in her bed. From the looks of it, it seems like he had sustained the most injuries during their short excursion. His body was aching slightly, but other than that he was quite fine. The others didn't seem to have suffered anything serious. " Anyway, what happened when I was out?"

" After you blew a hole in the sewers powerful enough to bring the whole place crashing down, we had to start running for cover when huge chunks of rocks started falling all over the place. Krayken here was quick enough to whip you out of that mess when you conveniently fainted after your head hit a boulder. Now, there is a God damned mess, and the authorities are trying to figure out who the heck was moronic enough to make half the thing collapse!" Vermillion fumed, somehow careful to keep her voice down despite being very pissed at the moment.

" So, you got me out of that mess," Tryzen replied, looking at Krayken. " Thanks a lot."

" You were not listening to a thing I said!" Vermillion yelled, loosing her cool this time.

" Shut up! We have more pressing matters at hand than worrying about me almost killing you by collapsing a ceiling!" Tryzen replied, jumping out of bed. He later realised that he was only sparsely dressed, but decided not to bother about it as the bandages around his body made up for the lack of clothes. He started pacing around the room, his arms folded against his chest as he spoke.

" We now have knowledge that the Holy Order are made up from people who are, at least, not in a sense, holy," he replied sternly.

" I thought we already figured that out," Vermillion scowled.

" No, you do not understand my meaning," Tryzen answered. " They way they knew we were hiding behind that wall...it would only be explainable if they had 'Vision'..."

" 'Vision'? You mean that ability to see through tangible objects?" Serene asked.

" Yes...I can't think of any other solution. The cardinals, if it were them, could even see Krayken's movements behind a solid wall," Tryzen replied.

" No way...if they have 'Vision', that would mean..."

" We have demons from the Neatherrealms within the ranks of the Holy Order," Tryzen finished the sentence for Serene. There was some silence between the four of them when Tryzen completed the sentence. Nobody liked to consider the fact.

" This can't be possible!" Serene exclaimed. " Demonic creatures are beings hated by the Holy Order, and are sworn to be banished by them. How the heck did a bunch of demonic creatures even get in the ranks of the Holy Order? Heck, how did anyone not notice?!"

" That is what troubles me most...it is almost impossible for them to stay in the Holy Order for so long without anyone noticing. I'm guessing they infiltrated the Holy Order recently, killed of a couple of the cardinals and disguised themselves as one of them while they carry out their plan. What plan they have that involves Azaroth, I can hardly fathom, but I don't imagine it to be good..." Tryzen answered, biting his thumb.

" Talking about Azaroth, we have news about him," Krayken interjected.

" What?" Tryzen exclaimed, turning around to face him.

" Apparently, they have caught him somehow, and he's back here in Prontera," Krayken replied.

-

" So, you are concerned about the judgment being passed upon Azaroth, and the on-goings in the Holy Order. Furthermore, your friend Selene is concerned that there is more than meets the eye on this matter, and you believe that she has taken some form of action to deal with it. Also, you feel something is wrong and there is some impending doom coming along nicely," Aesis repeated what Melanie had told him.

" I did not mention the last phrase..." Melanie retorted.

" Alright, you don't, but I do," Aesis replied.

" What do you mean by that?" Melanie asked, folding her arms.

Aesis got up and stretched his body, feeling cramped up from sitting on the chair for far too long as Melanie expressed her worries. He walked up and started to casually pour himself a drink from a nearby drink cabinet. Melanie had to refrain herself from wanting to scold her superior for such odd manners. Nobody can pull any ranks with the top commander in the army.

" Something is not right here: both the destruction of the outer villages and the murder of the cardinal. I might be wrong to say that both these events are unrelated in any way, but I've seen enough in my lifetime to know something is just not right," Aesis replied, taking a sip.

" Please don't answer me vaguely, commander," Melanie pleaded.

" My bad..." Aesis replied. " First of all, the attack on the outer villages. Now, from your report, and what I've heard, it was apparently the undead that attacked the village. However, there were no traces of them getting to the village, nor were there any traces of them leaving. Now Melanie, tell me what do you think?"

" What? Me? Why should it be important what I think?" Melanie asked. Aesis had a way of making people feel awkward by addressing them directly by their name.

" I'd like to see if one of my best people know how to think decently," Aesis replied.

" Was that a compliment or an insult?" Melanie scowled.

" Just tell me what you think," Aesis interjected.

Melanie sighed, then said " What I think might not make sense," she replied.

" The fact that I hold my post in the army doesn't make much sense either, so try me," Aesis replied, trying to be funny. Melanie wasn't sure whether the laugh or sigh. She decided to do neither.

" If there were to traces of the undead leaving or arriving, that means they took another means of entering the village. There are two other possible ways of entering the village: either from under the ground, or above the sky. If they did come from the sky, and in such numbers, it would be astronomically impossible that nobody actually saw them in the sky at all, thus I'm lead to the conclusion that they arose from underneath the village," Melanie answered.

" Bingo, and with that I'd say you are right," Aesis replied, emptying his glass. Looking at the empty glass, he suddenly said " I'm sorry...would you like a drink?"

" But how was that even possible? The village has no supply of corpses, and whatever that caused that destruction sure didn't summon a couple of zombies, that I'm very sure of!" Melanie exclaimed, ignoring Aesis's last statement.

" What are you implying?" Aesis asked.

" That it is technically impossible to even summon zombies there!" Melanie argued.

" And with that comes a flaw in your statement," Aesis pointed out.

" Flaw?"

" You said 'technically impossible'. Now, if you do not consider technicality, then in reality, it is still possible," Aesis replied.

" You are telling me that it is possible to summon zombies under those conditions?" Melanie asked incredulously.

" Of course it is possible, if not why was the village destroyed, leaving traces that zombies were actually previously there. Now, think carefully…your knowledge of the undead and the teachings in the Holy Order should be enough to roughly figure out how this happen. How do you summon zombies?" Aesis asked. Melanie could not see where her commander was heading to.

" First of all you need a vessel: a body, corpse, or an organic functional body that doesn't need to be a live. Impart some dark magic into it and we have a basic zombie," Melanie replied.

" Alright, that would be the most basic way to summon a zombie. However, as everyone who had been there had stated, there were no fresh supplies of zombies around to even consider summoning them directly, so some other method had been used. Now, can you think of another method where they were sent there, or summoned in any case?" Aesis asked.

" I already said…"

" Excuses, Melanie. Use your brain. Don't limit yourself to one method. There has to be an explanation," Aesis argued. Melanie started to hate this conversation. It was as if Aesis was testing her in an alchemy class, where they had to rack their brains to figure out funny formulas and cracked-up molecules.

Melanie figured for a while. If they were not summoned there, it would probably mean that they were sent there. But then, there were no physical marks that they were sent there, although a funny thought did occur to her somehow.

" Someone teleported them there?" Melanie tried.

" Exactly the answer I was looking for," Aesis replied, smiling.

" But commander, there is no way in hell a zombie can enter a warp portal. The holy powers will rend it to bits the moment it enters the warp portal!" Melanie argued.

" Well, priests aren't the only ones capable of opening warp portals," Aesis replied.

" Are you considering necromancers here?" Melanie asked incredulously.

" I am unable to consider anything else, Melanie," Aesis replied, getting up. " See, we know that the zombies did appear in that village. Problem is, there were no physical traces that they made their way there. Conclusion, they were warped there. Second conclusion, there was no way in hell a priest could send them there, unless you include fallen priests, which technically are also necromancers. It has to be Melanie, even it's hard to believe."

" But, all the necromancers were long dead by the end of the Second War," Melanie objected.

" And can you give me any proof of that?" Aesis asked. Melanie was unable to answer.

" It may have been a war, and it is true that we had wiped out the last of the Dark Legion, but that did not mean that we managed to kill every single opponent we had in that war. Considering that necromancers are sneaky bastards, we can safely assume that there is still a possibility that at least one of them was still alive," Aesis replied. " It has to be, Melanie. We can't bend logic, no matter how far fetched it may be."

Melanie hung her head. " What do you propose to do then, commander?" she asked.

" Leave it to me. I'll ask my subordinates to deal with this matter personally. You have done enough," Aesis replied. " Alright, we are done discussing with one topic. To the next one now: What do you think of Azaroth Crimson?"

" What the heck do you mean?" Melanie exclaimed.

" His position, the trial, and the charges…what do you think of it personally?" Aesis asked.

" It's not in my position to think of the charges in this case," Melanie answered.

" Typical response I'd expect from you anyway," Aesis replied. " Anyway, if you ask me, his whole trial is a piece of crap, and I'm under the impression that he has been falsely accused of his crime. Something is up, and I think the cardinals are the ones involved in this. Don't ask me how I came up with that. I just feel that it is."

" And what are you going to do about it?" Melanie asked, surprised at her commander being very frank about it.

" Nothing as of yet," Aesis answered.

" Nothing?!"

" Look, what can I possibly do? I have no proof that the cardinals are really the ones at fault here, besides my gut feeling. However, it will take more than that to convince everyone about that fact. It would look rather criminal if I started walking inside the church and starting to accuse the cardinals of this. Heck, what would Reinne think about it? I doubt she would fancy me much if I started beating up a couple of old men, especially from the church," Aesis answered. Melanie raised her eyebrows quizzically, in which Aesis replied " Alright, that was an overstatement...she wouldn't do that. Just a manner of speech."

" What would you plan on doing?" Melanie asked.

" Nothing as of yet," Aesis replied, getting ready to leave. " Don't worry, I'll try and figure out something by the time this is over. Right now, I think you should go report this matter to your Division commander. I'm sure she needs to heard your report on the destroyed villages. Whether or not you intend to go into a in-depth discussion like the one we just had, I'll leave it to you."

" That was what I intended to do, except she isn't here," Melanie argued.

" I wasn't talking about Deinnelle, Melanie. I was talking about Reinne. Being second-in-command doesn't mean she isn't allowed to receive mission reports," Aesis replied. " Stop being so uptight, Melanie, if not at this rate you wouldn't get a boyfriend anytime soon."

Melanie spun on her commander, blushing slightly. " What?!" she declared loudly.

" I must say, you look good in a shade of red," Aesis jokingly replied.

" Are you hitting on me?" Melanie exclaimed.

" Don't get so worked up. I'm not hitting on you, just giving some advice. Besides, I already have my eyes on someone else already, and it's nobody as fiesty and stoic as you are," Aesis laughed. He walked out of the room with a smug grin on his face, leaving Melanie behind to fume for a while.

Aesis always felt that Melanie was too strict for her own good. She would smile once in a while, usually in the company in her friends, but Aesis always felt that she could use a close partner to ease her seriousness in her life. However, from the looks of the way she was going, she might be staying single for some time now.

" Commander Aesis!" someone exclaimed loudly. Aesis looked up to see a surprised looking knight, no doubt wondering what the heck was his division commander doing coming out from another division commanders room.

" Yes, what now?" Aesis asked.

" Sir, the southern portion of the sewers has collapsed for some reason!" the knight replied.

" What? Collapsed?" Aesis asked.

" Yes sir. Some of the peasents have reported that there was a sound of an explosion right before the collapse of the sewers. Several houses were destroyed, but there were no casualties. The damage is quite intense, and it would take some time to repair it, considering the state the sewers is in," the knight replied.

" Hmm," Aesis thought. _A sound of an explosion?_ Certainly, someone has unleashed an amout of power somewhere inside the sewers. Being rather ancient, it would not doubt break easily when the correct pressure to specific parts were applied. Question was: who blew it up?

" I'll take a look," Aesis replied.

" What? There is no need sir. The squardron captains will organise the clean-up, and report anything to you directly," the knight objected.

" I'd like to see it," Aesis replied.

" Right, sir. This way," the knight replied, not wanting to argue with his superior on that matters. Both of them trooped off down the stone corridor, their footsteps tapping on the ancient stone as Melanie stepped out of Deinnelle's room, after hearing most of the conversation.

-

Azaroth was violently woken up when he was violently thrown back against a wall. He groaned in pain as his back was slammed against the stony wall of the familiar dungeon cell. This time however, instead of the usual handcuffs and chains to his feet bound to an iron ball, he was totally wrapped up in chains, and his movements were restricted completely. The most he could do was stretch his head and look around.

" Hey, what if I need to shit?" Azaroth yelled, caring less about his manners in speech.

" Relax, at the date fixed for your execution, there is no time for you to shit at all," one of the guards said. The other five who were with him started laughing loudly, slapping the guy who said it heartily on the back as they started to walk out of the holding area where they kept him. Azaroth winched slightly as they slammed the door shut loudly.

Azaroth tried to remember what had happened. He had no further recollection after his engagement with the High Priest, being knocked out immediately after that. The next thing he knew, he was being dragged here, completely bonded in chains and unceremoniously dumped into the dungeon cell.

" It just has to be my lucky week..." Azaroth groaned.

-

" Hmm, what's this?" Tryhayren asked, seeing Grimjaw dump a large leather sack on her table.

" Consider this a token of appreciation if you wish. This will be my last time staying here. Just saying thanks for keeping us here," Grimjaw replied.

" Oh, where are you leaving to?" Tryhayren asked slyly.

" I've secured a mode of transport out of here to Prontera, and I'll be leaving immediately with Meillienne," Grimjaw replied. He poked the leather sack slightly, and there was the clinking sound of coins hitting coins. " This isn't much, but this will be the last payment I'll most likely be paying you."

Grimjaw walked out of the room. Meillienne was standing right at the end. She bowed slightly as Grimjaw reached the door. However, just before they left, Grimjaw heard something fly in the air. He spun around just quick enough to catch a flying leather pouch deftly with his right hand. Grimjaw was slightly surprised that Tryhayren decided to turn down his offering.

" You should know I always like other forms of currency," Tryhayren replied mischeviously.

" What now?" Grimjaw asked, frowning.

" I'll only allow you to leave if you promise to visit once in a while. My daughter has become quite found of you already, you know that. It's not really nice to just leave her unattended like this," Tryhayren replied.

Grimjaw sighed loudly. " You know I can't object to that. I'll try and see..." Grimjaw replied, stepping out of Tryhayren's private room. Both Meillienne and Grimjaw walked back quietly tomeet Selene and Teranis back at their old place.

" Brother, are you going to rescue Azaroth?" Meillienne asked.

" Hmm, most likely...why?" Grimjaw replied quietly.

" Won't it be dangerous?" Meillienne asked.

" I've got enough lives to waste," Grimjaw laughed. Meillienne felt odd. This was a time when her brother has been acting differently from before. Azaroth must have had quite an impact on Grimjaw to make him want to rescue him. " Besides, going to Prontera would be a good chance to become an acolyte as you have always wanted. Isn't that good?"

" Brother, promise me one thing..." Meillienne asked.

" Tsk, more promises again..." Grimjaw sighed.

" I know Azaroth is important to you. He's important to me as well. But, you are as equally important as well. I just...I just don't want to lose you both as well," Meillienne timidly said.

Grimjaw stopped walking just as they reached to outer area of their old house. Meillienne looked quizzically at her brother. He took a deep breath, puffing hard on the cigarette in his mouth, before looking at her. " You sure are one demanding sibling..." he sighed, patting her affectionately on her head. Meillienne smiled happily at him.

" Hey, Priestess! We are all set and ready to go!" Grimjaw exclaimed.

-

" He's...back?" Tryzen asked, his jaw dropping slack.

" Yes, you dumb ass. While you were sleeping nicely all along there, the Holy Order has somehow sent some group to Morroc and nicely fetched back Azaroth's bum right back to the capital. He's back in his dungeon cell now, and his execution date is set for this evening!" Vermillion yelled.

" Damn it, you can't be serious..." Tryzen groaned, sitting back down.

" What now! He's back, and he's going to die! What are we going to do?" Vermillion exclaimed.

Tryzen thought for a while, sitting down quietly. There wasn't much time left. It was slightly past the afternoon, and that would mean that the execution date was just a couple of hours away at the least. There was not enough time to come up with a suitable plan right now. They would need to get Azaroth out, and get him out fast.

" Serene, Vermillion...you still remember the original plan, don't you?" Tryzen asked, getting up to pick up is staff.


	22. Chapter 21: Desperate Measures

**Chapter 21: Desperate Measures**

" Back in the capital...at least no more sand in my boots," Teranis laughed, stepping out of the portal happily. She stretched her arms, glad that there was no hot, burning sun over her head. She looked behind to see Selene step out of the portal, followed by two others. Selene was looking rather glum, and Teranis knew why.

" Hey, I'm sorry about what happened to those people back there, but there was nothing you could do about it, so stop being so down, girl. You are making me feel bad," Teranis replied. Selene didn't reply, merely looking at her. Teranis decided not to bother about her and allow her to wallow in her own anguish for the moment. There are more important things at hand now.

" Meh, I'm leaving for a minute. Hey, Grimjaw, why don't you tag along? I'll give you a short tour of the city," Teranis replied.

" Stick with Selene for a minute...I'll be right back," Grimjaw said, patting his sister on her head. Meillienne and Selene could only watch them slowly walk towards the Pronteran markets.

-

" I hope tea is fine with you," Selene said, pouring hot water into a small teapot. Meillienne made a soft noise, which Selene assumed was a yes. Meillienne could smell the sweet aroma of the tea. It was a rather unfamiliar smell to her, possibly due to the fact they don't drink much tea in Morroc.

As Selene prepared something for Selene to drink, Meillienne took her time looking around her humble abode. It took Selene by surprise seeing Meillienne walking about her room, looking at every nook and cranny of her room, as if on a treasure hunt. She placed the teapot on her small, wooden table and poured two cups of tea.

" How long have you been a priestess?" Meillienne suddenly asked.

" 9 years as of now," Selene replied quickly.

" How long have you stayed here?" Meillienne asked again.

" All my life..." Selene said, passing a cup of tea to Meillienne, which she quickly received. Apparently, Meillienne was more interested in sniffing the tea than drinking it, quite hilarious looking at the way she placed her nose over the vapours rising from the cup. _Perhaps they don't drink that much tea in Morroc,_ Selene thought.

" Do you like it here?" Meillienne asked.

Selene wondered what to say. The church had been her home throughout her lifetime, but yet, now with all the recent developments, it was hard to say whether she liked it or not. After all, the cardinals are now not what they used to be. Meillienne looked at Selene, feeling puzzled when Selene looked away, not answering.

" Why do you ask?" Selene asked back.

" I just wanted your opinion, since it's always been my dream to leave Morroc to come to Prontera and serve under the Holy Order," Meillienne replied, smiling.

Selene couldn't help but smile as well. " Why?" she asked.

" Eh...well, I don't know..." Meillienne honestly replied.

" You just wanted to come here on a whim?"

" Not really...I've just always felt that somehow...it was my destiny to come here. To serve God and his people. To mend hearts and heal wounds...I guess it's just part of my dream to just come here...would they accept me?" Meillienne asked.

Selene placed her cup down and strolled up to Meillienne. Patting her on her head, she replied " You can if you truly believe your heart took you here."

" I can do some healing spells...would that be something?" Meillienne asked.

" You can?"

Before Meillienne could answer the question, something flew through Selene's room's open window, rolling across the floor and stopping underneath her table. She bent down to pick it up. It was a note that was tied to a rock.

-

Melanie stood by the entrance of the sewers, observing the on-goings. The damage was much more serious that she had imagined it to be. Approximately, a stretch of about a hundred meters of ground had collapsed, bringing down six shop houses along with it. Dairy and farm products were strewn all over the place, littering the street she stood upon with eggshells and leafy vegetables. At least nobody was injured in the event, that was for sure, except maybe for a chicken or two.

Knights from the first division were all over the place, along with a couple of wizards and priests who had came along to help. Commander Aesis was standing right in the middle of the debris, watching passively as one of his knights was reporting on what had happened.

" Commander!" one of the mages exclaimed as he emerged from the sewers.

" What is it?"

" Retmain seems to have found something. I think you better take a look," the young mage replied. Aesis stepped forward, along with several knights, down an area where the ground had collapsed. Melanie followed close behind, wanting to see what was up.

" Here, this was what caused the explosion," a wizard replied, pointing to some part of a damaged wall of the sewer. Upon closer inspection, one could see that a part of the wall was charred black.

" I've confirmed that this was caused by a magical induced fire. Either a wizard or high wizard did this," the wizard replied.

" Not a mage?"

" Not trying to put them down or anything, but I doubt a mage could come up with such destructive power..."

" Why the hell did he blow up the sewers?"

" I'm guessing he was attacked. I feel the unholy presence of the undead here. I'm guessing he was attacked by some undead creature under the sewers. Why he or she was here, or the undead, I have no idea," Melanie replied, her arm raised up, feeling the surrounding area with her Holy powers.

" Alright, this place is more dangerous than it looks. I want teams of four, no less. Move out in all directions in the sewers. If you spot anything, give out a cry and return back here. We don't want to deal any further damage to the sewers," Aesis said, signaling to three knights to follow him. Melanie randomly chose a team, and the whole group entered the sewers to take a look around.

-

Azaroth was getting slightly frustrated. He had now been stuck for about an hour in his cell, and the restrictions placed on him was making his muscles cramping up. He tried squirming a bit to loosen his muscles, but it didn't seem to have any effect. He tried rolling over, but the iron weights placed on him this time were much more than sufficient enough to keep a large bear in place.

After a while, he gave up. He felt too tired and too stressed out to try anything else. His execution date was set to be carried out in a couple of hours. If he needed a miracle again, now would be perfect time for one to happen.

Decided that he should at least do something before his life ended, he started thinking. The members of the Holy Order showing up at Morroc was rather irregular. How did they know that he was there, and also, how did they know exactly where to find him. He was now suspecting a leak of information, but the question was who.

Only a handful of people knew he was in Morroc. Selene, for one. However, she was the one who sent him there in the first place. Why would she go though all the trouble to send him there then inform the Holy Order where he is. Such a theory was not possible, unless you decided to defy logic, then it would make perfect sense.

Grimjaw also knew, but he was helping Azaroth, not wanting to sell him off to the Holy Order, unless he was doing some acting back there, which was pretty good since he actually killed a couple of people in order to make that act. Also, Azaroth could not imagine Meillienne even considering to act in such a way. After all, Grimjaw did say that she fancied him.

Azaroth then thought of Tryhayren. Was it possible? She is the only person left who knew who he was and where he was. After all, the attack in the Dune was too well coordinated, which showed that the attackers had prior knowledge about the place to be able to attack him so easily. However, Grimjaw trusted her, and Azaroth trusted him a way, so that might put Tryhayren out of the picture.

But if not her, then who?

-

Tryzen strolled up the streets with a purpose in mind. The dungeon building where Azaroth was kept was just up ahead. He readied his staff and walked up to the front walls.

" Tryzen, are you sure this is wise? I mean, going straight on?" Serene tried to object.

" I blame it on the lack of time to be able to come up with something in time. Let's just do this Vermillion style, no?" he suggested.

" Brilliant! I love your thinking!" Vermillion laughed.

" Just avoid killing anyone..." Tryzen reminded, walking up to the side wall. A few knights wondered what was up, seeing Vermillion walking straight up to them , with a wizard, and assassin, and a hunter in tow.

" Vermillion? What are you up to this time?" one of them asked.

Vermillion quickly elbowed him, her arm smashed hard onto his helm, the concussion knocking him unconscious. She whipped around, barging into the other knight, holding down his hand which went for his sword, and kneeing him where it hurts. As he groaned in pain, Vermillion backhanded him quickly on the base of his neck.

Almost instantly, Tryzen placed his hands on the wall surrounding the dungeon. Red, glowing seals started floating out of his hands, forming a circle around the wall. Suddenly, there was a collective intake of spiritual energy, all concentrated on the wall. Focusing his powers, he blasted the energy forward, blowing a hole in the wall. The resulting explosion blew pieces of debris all over, sending chunks of rock all over the place.

" Damn it!" Serene exclaimed, raising her arms to shield her eyes from the blast.

-

Melanie immediately looked upwards as soon as she heard the sound of a distant explosion. Her three teammates also looked around, wondering what was going on. The ground shook slightly, and multiple ripples started to form on the murky green sewer water where they stood. Even in the darkness, Melanie was quick enough to see cracks starting to form along the sewer ceiling.

" Back off!" Melanie yelled. Just as soon as she shouted, the ceiling right above them started to collapse. Melanie, being in front, took most of the damage, although she raised her shield in time to avoid any serious damage. She gritted her teeth as tons of stone and cement started to rain down heavily upon her. She stumbled, backwards, quick enough to avoid most of the ceiling from hitting her.

" Damn it, what in hell is going on here?!" Melanie exclaimed, wondering what kind of attack was going on. All of them looked up at where the ceiling had collapsed. They were just below a large stone building which Melanie remembered very well.

" Hmm...we are right outside the dungeons..." she mused.

-

A wooden door was blown open to bits by lightning bolts, and several knights were toss backwards violently by the blast. Several arrows whipped past the smoky remains of the door, hitting several knights in their limbs. Vermillion tore though the broken down door and slammed herself hard into the first knight she saw.

" Vermillion, what in the world are you doing?!" one of the female knights exclaimed.

" Should be damn obvious what I'm doing!" Vermillion laughed, giving a powerful uppercut, smashing the knight backwards. Two of them stepped up to hold Vermillion down, but they were met with some resistance from several arrows that came flying towards them, sinking their ends into their thighs. Grabbing the nearby table by its side, she flipped the table over, smashing it directly in their direction while laughing maniacally. It was the last straw for them, and the knights started to draw their swords.

" My, you should have drawn them earlier!" Vermillion laughed.

" You really are nuts," Serene replied, stepping through the broken door, followed by Krayken, who whipped out his katars. Some of the knights charged forward, but they were thrown backwards by a powerful firewall, effectively sealing them apart. Tryzen was the last to step in from the door.

" You moron! We are not here to pick a fight!" Tryzen exclaimed, sounding angry.

" Who the hell are you guys?!" one of the knights exclaimed, testing the firewall. His lance threw out sparks as soon as the tip of the lance touched the firewall, knocking it backwards. Tryzen merely glanced at the knight's trapped at the corner by his firewall, and set up several more firewalls to keep them at bay. The searing heat could be felt heating their skin, especially in such an enclosed space.

Tryzen lead them on, having recognised and remembered the pathways along the buildings. He theorised that Azaroth was being held at the lowest levels of the dungeon, where they kept the criminals that the capital considered the worst inside. Now, he would have to navigate his way along corridors in which he was unfamiliar with.

" Where next?" Serene asked, seeing Tryzen looking around. Since he blew open a hole in the exterior wall of the place, the alarm had been sounded, and now, they only had several seconds to make their decision before the knights started swarming all over the place.

" Blow open that door!" Tryzen exclaimed, pointing to one on the right. Krayken moved up to it, and sunk his katar hard into the lock. There was a faint click, and he barged it open. All of them moved through the door, and Krayken quickly slammed it back into place. Vermillion and Serene tried to lock it, but then realised that Krayken had already broken the lock earlier in order to enter in the first place.

" Forget it, let's go!" Tryzen exclaimed. The four of them tore down the new corridor they were in, before heading towards the ladder. Reaching a fork, Tryzen took a quick turn to the left, only to meet face-to-face with a crusader standing right in the middle.

" Let me guess...rescuing Azaroth Crimson are we?" the crusader replied mockingly.

" Melanie, what a surprise...came to help us as well?" Vermillion laughed.

" We don't have time for games now, V," Tryzen replied. He readied a fireball in his hand and threw at her. Melanie raised her shield just in time to parry the multiple bolts of fire that slammed violently onto her equipment. When the volley of fire was over, she pushed through the area, her cutlass drawn and ready.

Krayken intercepted her blow just in time, but his strength was no match to hers. As soon as his katars clashed with hers, she pushed with all her might. Krayken was caught unaware, and he felt himself straining as she pushed him back easily. She fended off an arrow shot by Serene using her shield, and quickly swung her shield at Tryzen, who dodged it in time.

" Damn it!" Tryzen growled, hating the time he was wasting in dealing with this lone crusader. Deciding he would have to risk seriously injuring the crusader in order to save time, he prepared his attack at once. Melanie saw his attack coming, the palm of his hand crackling with energy.

The thunder bolt smashed down hard on Melanie's shield, and she could feel her shield heating up from being pummeled multiple times. She felt two people grab her from behind. Before she knew it, Tryzen had another spell ready, and this time, the lightning bolts hit her directly, the energy bolts smashing into her full-plated armour.

It came to his sudden surprise to see Melanie throw off Vermillion and Krayken in a fit, flinging them backwards like there were merely rag dolls. She swung her sword at him, and he barely made it in time to deflect it with a quickly cast firebolt to her arm, the blast knocking him back while deflecting her aim away from his head.

" Commendable, Blitz. Using such quick spell casting and dangerous close combat tactics, you live up to your name..." Melanie replied, grinning slightly as she healed herself. " Unfortunately, I would suggest a Jupitel Thunder spell at least to take me down."

" What the hell..." Tryzen groaned, picking himself up quickly.

" She's Melanie Stryfort, one of the elite crusaders of the army, and one of the youngest squadron commanders in the history of Rune-Midguard. I would say her combat skills are about Azaroth's level..." Vermillion replied.

" How nice of you to remember those facts...however, I would have to say Azaroth is much better than me, or else he wouldn't have escaped the last time," Melanie replied. Then, her expression changed towards a serious tone. " What do you think you people are doing here?" she snarled.

" Azaroth's innocent, and the Holy Order is manned by a bunch of morons, you included. We aren't going to sit around and allow you idiots to execute him! We are getting him out of here!" Vermillion declared.

" You know, I had always hated that attitude of yours. Now I have all the more reason to kill you," Melanie replied.

As a reply, Vermillion leaped forward to attack. Melanie raised her shield immediately, expecting Vermillion to throw another violent punch of hers, but instead, she decided to hold on firmly to her shield. Vermillion was desperately trying to hold on to her, despite Melanie's attempts to shake her off. Melanie attempted to strike Vermillion down with her sword, but Vermillion parried the blow by catching the blade with her hands. She winced painfully as the blade slit her palm, blood trickling down slowly from her wound.

" What are you morons doing?! We are here to save Azaroth! Get your asses moving, I'll hold her off here!" Vermillion exclaimed.

" You can't fight her alone!" Serene exclaimed.

" Get lost now! We don't have time for arguments!" Vermillion spat.

" You know for once, she is right," Tryzen laughed despite the situation.

" You all are not leaving this area!" Melanie exclaimed, but both her weapon and her shield was firmly held by Vermillion, who grinned maniacally at her. She attempted to kick Vermillion away, but Vermillion spotted her movements quick enough, and greeted her steel greaves with her leather boot. With a wave of his hand, Tryzen signaled for the rest of them to follow him. Vermillion smiled at Melanie as she watched them leave.

" You are all going to pay for this!" Melanie exclaimed. " Why rescue him?"

" Less talk, more fight!" Vermillion laughed, releasing her grip on Melanie's shield and aiming for her head. Melanie moved aside quickly, avoid the blow to her head. Having released her grip on her shield, Melanie had more room to move, and she used this opportunity to twist her sword free from Vermillion's grip. She winced slightly in pain, but she had no time to think about it as Melanie swung her sword at her. She was unable to avoid the blow, and Melanie managed to strike a gash on Vermillion's chest, ripping her attire open and splattering blood everywhere.

" You are much more foolish than I thought," Melanie replied, watching Vermillion bleed as she pointed her sword at her. " You can't possibly match me in a fight. I'll finish this quickly."

" Blah, blah, blah...you talk too much. I said let's fight!" Vermillion exclaimed, ignoring the pain on her chest and charging forward. Despite it opening her wound, Vermillion threw multiple punches at Melanie, who parried her attack with her shield. Dull thuds were heard echoing throughout the place each time Vermillion struck.

Melanie intended to end this sparring match quickly, not wanting Azaroth's cronies wandering around the place, although a thought did come to her mind all of a sudden. _Were these the people who got him out the last time?_ Not likely, she thought to herself. Their actions were loud and brash, unlike the way Azaroth got free before. This might mean more than two forces are helping Azaroth escaping. Looks like certain parties were rather intent on getting Azaroth out alive.

Vermillion caught Melanie slightly distracted, and didn't waste her opportunity to strike. She elbowed Melanie sharply, crunching her elbow against her face. Melanie stepped back several spaces, cursing herself for being distracted, when Vermillion followed up her attack. Hitting the floor, she tried to take a sweep at Melanie's legs. Melanie forcefully placed her foot down, and even though Vermillion's foot made contact with her greaves, she was pressing her foot down with enough force to avoid being knocked off her feet.

But Vermillion had other ideas. Hooking her feet on Melanie's ankle, she gave her feet a powerful tug. Not expecting to be pulled, Melanie gave a cry of surprise as she felt herself loosing her balance. With a loud crash, she was on the floor and Vermillion was right on top of her.

Melanie could block the first blow, grabbing Vermillion's fist with the palm of her hand before she struck. Vermillion managed to strike one blow upon Melanie's face, but Melanie's helm protected her head from much of the concussion, so she was still quite aware of her surroundings despite being hit so hard. She grabbed Vermillion's hand just in time before the second blow. However, before she could attempt to roll over, Vermillion smashed her head hard upon her skull, not bothering that Melanie had a helm on.

Melanie reflexively pulled back her hands to her face, which unfortunately made her release both her grip on Vermillion's hands. Free now, she started to smash her fists onto her head, although since Melanie was covering her face with her arms, it wasn't doing much good. Vermillion could not really punch Melanie anywhere else since she was so highly armoured, unless she wanted to numb her fingers by slamming her knuckles onto her armour plates.

Recovering from the head butt, Melanie reached out and grabbed Vermillion by the throat. " Such unorthodox fighting methods, but if you wish to play that way, I guess I could as well," she snarled back menacingly. She could feel Vermillion squirm through her steel gloves, trying to gasp for air. Melanie lifted her up off the floor, choking her in a hold.

All of a sudden, Vermillion flipped upwards, flinging her legs over Melanie's arms. The sudden movement and extra increase in weight on her arm caused her to drop Vermillion. As soon as she hit the floor, Vermillion yanked Melanie's arm and threw her across the corridor. Since she was so heavy, the most Vermillion could actually do was to roll Melanie away. The sudden action had caused Melanie to crush her throat, and Vermillion was coughing and wheezing from the damage.

" Tsk, not bad..." Melanie scowled, picking up her shield and sword while Vermillion was temporarily out of commission.


	23. Chapter 22: Engagement

**Chapter 22: Engagement**

Before Vermillion could fully recover, Melanie took several steps forward, her swords raised. Vermillion caught the weapon raised just in time, leaping back as Melanie took a swing. However, she was not quick enough to avoid Melanie's shield in time, and the large flat piece of metal came swinging her way. Bracing herself, she tried to block the shield with her hands, only to find them being painfully slammed upon before being thrown backwards.

_Damn bitch! Using her shield as a weapon…she would be better off using two shields at once…_Vermillion groaned, trying to get up. Vermillion's knuckles were getting numb from slamming them multiple times on Melanie's armour plates.

" Hmph!" Melanie scowled, bracing herself as she raised her shield in front of her, slowly advancing upon Vermillion. Vermillion quickly ran her hand over her chest, trying to heal the cut Melanie had inflicted earlier. Not wanting to give Vermillion any further advantage by allowing her to heal herself, Melanie charged forward, yelling.

Vermillion hopped backwards to avoid Melanie, sidestepping quickly to avoid being run down by her shield yet again. Vermillion tried to catch her breath, circling the room. Melanie had the direct advantage in this fight for having immense strength and a mind for tactics, not to mention a speed beyond the ordinary considering that she was weighed down by her heavy armour. All Vermillion had were quick combos and straightforward attacking tactics. Vermillion tried not to think about it too much. She had no talent in waiting to think.

" You rely too much on brute force, Vermillion. There is a limit on where sheer force of power can take you. It's a pity that brain is never used in a fight," Melanie retorted.

" Hah, changing tactics now? Want to talk me to death?" Vermillion laughed.

Melanie closed the distance between them within one leap, her sword coming down in a dangerous arc. Ignoring the danger, Vermillion moved forward, twisting her arm to the back to avoid Melanie cutting it off the joint, just before launching it towards her face just as the blade missed her by a fraction. Melanie raised her shield just in time to avoid a blow to her face. Vermillion gripped the blade to avoid Melanie from stabbing her. The blade cut through her flesh, and her blood started to drip all over the place.

" There is a limit on how much pain you can withstand, Vermillion," Melanie growled, watching Vermillion's blood smear all over the stone floor. Vermillion just gritted her teeth and gave Melanie the best smile she could muster.

-

Serene let loose a few arrows, all three of them hitting the knights in their thighs, disabling them temporarily. Krayken hacked down a nearby door, breaking the lock and barged in. Several swordsmen tried to stop him, one charging forward with his two-handed sword raised. Krayken lifted his hand, the blade of the sword slamming down hard on his katar, its weight pressing him down to the spot. However, he was able to push the sword aside and stab the guy in his gut, careful to not hit his vital organs least Tryzen started complaining about the increasing body count.

Tryzen came in, throwing firebolts all over the place. The swordsmen had no room to avoid or defend themselves as Tryzen's fiery barrage rained down heavily upon them. Knocking back several swordsmen, he turned around and focused on the door. His hands went in a flurry of seals, and bright glowing runes started to float all around him. After several seconds, he clasped his hands together. That resulted in the main door blowing up, forcing the ceiling around them to collapse all over, and effectively sealing the exit.

" That should hold them back for a while," Tryzen replied, looking at his handiwork. " Downstairs, everyone!"

The three of them headed downstairs quickly, following the line of torches down a spiraling staircase, with Krayken at the lead. They could barely hear the sound of people pounding upon the collapsed wall, trying to force their way in. Krayken slipped down the spiral staircase, carefully looking around.

The moved towards the lower levels of the building, where the dungeons were located. There were still some knights around the area. Krayken knocked their lances aside, stabbing them with ease on their thighs. Dropping them to their knees, he smack them hard in their faces.

" Hey, not so hard!" Serene exclaimed. Krayken merely looked at her with a bored expression.

" Don't worry, it's not as if they going to die or anything," Tryzen replied.

" You can't be serious," Serene replied.

" Considering the fact that they might kill us if we decide to act like saints, I'm sure we are most certainly acting accordingly. I could give a rat's ass if they wake up with a headache," Tryzen retorted, heading towards the key rack. He couldn't figure out which key he might need, so he took them all off the rack and tossed it at Serene, who caught them all. " We'll take the whole lot."

The three of them went down another flight of stairs, and this time, Tryzen felt that they were at the right level. Serene looked around. All they could see was a vast dark corridor, lined with wooden doors. Azaroth had to be held within one of them.

Tryzen rushed up to the closest one he saw and kicked it open. He had to kick a couple of times before it opened. Looking inside and not being able to see anyone inside made him move on to the next door. Krayken and Serene immediately helped him, opening doors quickly to search for Azaroth. It didn't take long.

" Tryzen!" Serene exclaimed, opening her third door.

-

Vermillion cursed, as Melanie started to back her up to a corner. Melanie was slowly advancing on her, pushing her back down a corridor. Heavily injured, Vermillion was in no position to push Melanie back. She tried to heal herself, although it was rather disruptive with Melanie prodding her sword every once in a while to keep Vermillion busy.

Vermillion realised that she was loosing ground at an alarming speed as Melanie slowly backed her up towards a dead end along the corridor. The small area was giving Melanie a great advantage in this fight. Vermillion's style of fighting would need some space, and the long, singular corridor was not helping one bit. She had to make some space for herself, somehow.

Looking around desperately, she tried to find a way to even this fight. Slightly distracted, Melanie took this opportunity to hack at Vermillion's head. Unable to react quickly enough, she felt a painful sting upon her forehead as the metal blade hit her hard. Melanie gave her a swift kick in the gut, and Vermillion was down on the floor, coughing out blood.

" Damn it!" Vermillion replied, trying to raise herself. Melanie placed her foot upon her back, pressing her downwards. Forcing the last of her energies, Vermillion tried to cast a teleport spell, which to her surprise Melanie didn't bother stopping her. She found out soon enough.

" We place a magic barrier within this building, so nothing comes in and nothing goes out by means of teleportation," Melanie replied as Vermillion watched several white sparks sizzle in the palm of her hand. " We would need precautions you know, just in case some one as idiotic as you were to attempt something as this."

Something Melanie said caught her attention. _Around the building? That's it, why didn't I just do it earlier! _Melanie thought.

Melanie placed the tip of her blade upon Vermillion's neck, pressing the bloodied steel weapon against her neck. " Any last words?" Melanie asked.

" I get a couple of last words?" Vermillion asked.

" Why not?"

" I've just go to say this..." Vermillion replied. " I'm right, you're wrong, and there is nothing you can rightly do about it!"

Moving with a speed that was surprising for a wounded person like Vermillion, she flipped her body around under Melanie's feet. She swung her sword around, but it missed by a fraction. Hitting one hand on the floor hard, she forced herself up by pushing upwards hard. As soon as she was up, she grabbed both Melanie's shield and sword tightly and yanked both of them powerfully to the side. Melanie barely saw the window right next to them in the quick movement.

Both of them flew out the window, crashing through the glass. Vermillion was careful to place Melanie first to allow her to crash through the window first, taking most of the cuts. She was also careful to make sure Melanie hit the ground first, using her large bulky body as a cushion. Melanie yelled in pain as she felt herself hit the ground, sending shocks throughout her entire body. Vermilion laughed happily as she hopped off Melanie's body.

" Hah, I've made my say! Got anything to say about it?" Vermillion exclaimed as Melanie got up. The grounds outside was rather spacious, and this gave Vermillion an advantage. She circled around Melanie quickly. Seeing the movement, Melanie struck her sword towards the direction Vermillion seemed to be moving towards, but with the wide open space, Vermillion quickly dodged it by leaping aside, flinging a kick towards Melanie's head. The kick connected, and Vermillion managed to knock Melanie back down on the floor again.

" Come on! I'm on a roll here!" Vermillion exclaimed.

-

Azaroth wondered what was all the noise about. He could have sworn that he heard an explosion somewhere. He tried to get up from the floor, wondering what the ruckus was all about. He felt the stone walls vibrate from the explosion.

Not soon after that, where was a whole lot of noise all about. Azaroth tried to get up to move closer to the door to be able to listen better, but all he managed was to trip over the chain keeping him to place, making fall straight back on the floor painfully face first. He groaned painfully as he rolled over, his face stinging painfully. What more, his hands were unable to rub his face to ease the pain.

He heard people running outside, although he could not guess what was the commotion was all about. Soon enough, the commotion started to die down, and Azaroth wondered if it was anything to be worked up for. He changed his mind a second later.

He heard another explosion, this time even louder and clearer than before. Azaroth had no doubt this one actually came from inside the building from the sound of the noise. _Were they being attacked? If so, then by whom?_

There were some cries coming from the level above him, and the clashing of steel weapons. After a moment of silence, he heard some movement of people right outside the door of his dungeon cell. There was a loud bang as the door opened several seconds later, and a rather familiar voice exclaimed " Tryzen!"

_Tryzen!? Wait, you can't be serious..._

Moments later, someone walked into the room. From the way he was dressed, he was obviously a wizard: dark leather gloves along with the dark flowing cotton cloak he had that covered a crimson leather vest beneath. He had sharp features, a handsome face with dark blue eyes. He gave Azaroth a winsome smile. He didn't need to be told who is was, Azaroth could already guess who he was. After all, his crop of crazy looking blue hair gave his identity away.

" Hey..." Tryzen replied awkwardly.

" What the hell do you want now? A cup of tea?" Azaroth exclaimed.

" Will you two idiots not try to exchange pleasantries in the middle of a problem!?" Serene exclaimed angrily, seeing Tryzen look at Azaroth fondly. She dumped the keys she had on the floor, taking the closest one tried it on the lock, throwing it way quickly when it didn't work. Krayken came up to give her a hand.

" You guys as well! Both of you are here as well?!" Azaroth exclaimed, seeing both Serene and Krayken, before being hit by the head by a key.

" I'm not a guy!" Serene exclaimed.

" Don't argue about grammar with me!" Azaroth replied, watching three of his friends trying to open the door to his cell. " Hey, why are we using keys? Can't you just blow the door apart? You aren't that unskilled, aren't you Tryzen? I heard explosions earlier!"

" Azaroth, simple-minded as ever. If it was possible, I would have blown you out of here already. Considering you are a highly wanted criminal, there is no way they will lock you in a cell without any magic surrounding the place. We will need to get you out manually," Tryzen replied, trying a key, which worked this time. He kicked the door of Azaroth's cell and entered, standing over Azaroth.

" Question: why are you lying face down?" Tryzen asked.

" I fell flat on my face...don't ask," Azaroth replied, blushing.

Tryzen ran his hands across the chains that held Azaroth to place. All of them watched in interest as yellow runes started to appear all over the chains. " As I suspected, the have placed seals all over the chains. It will take some time for me to unseal them. Krayken, Serene, guard the door. Make sure nobody gets in before I'm done," he ordered. Both of them got up at once and headed for the door.

" They won't be able to hold if the whole army breaks through the place," Azaroth argued.

" If it makes you feel better, I brought a whole ceiling crashing down on the main entrance to this place, so I doubt they will get in that easily," Tryzen replied, drawing sigils directly over the chains. Weird, unrecognisable seals started to form in mid-air, disappearing after a while. Sparks came off the chains, as if it were a fuse burning out.

" Guess they taught you well in the Academy," Azaroth chuckled.

" You'd be surprised at what I taught them," Tryzen remarked. Tryzen was kept busy trying to get the seal off the chain when Azaroth spoke up again.

" Why did you come?" Azaroth asked quietly.

" Don't you dare argue about morals with me, because morals flew out the window the moment I heard you were imprisoned here," Tryzen remarked quickly, not looking up at Azaroth and focusing at the task at hand.

" I could care less about that...I'm asking why are you here rescuing me?" Azaroth asked.

" Do I need a reason?" Tryzen replied.

Azaroth didn't know whether to scold him or laugh at him . " Guess you really took my teachings to heart...sorry to get you into trouble," Azaroth apologised.

" Bah, don't worry about it. After all, aren't the both of us always getting into trouble?" Tryzen laughed.

" That was more than ten years ago, and stealing a couple of vegetables is child's play compared to going against the church and the army. Didn't you say you were about to get married some time now? What would Sapphire say about all this?" Azaroth asked.

" Sapphire understands what I have to do, and that was to get you out of this place," Tryzen replied, finishing his work. The seal was off, and the cuffs to Azaroth's hand and legs came off in an instant. " If you want to complain about anything, we can do it later. After all, we have got 10 years of stuff to catch up upon."

Azaroth ran his fingers over his hands where the cuffs previously held him in place, feeling very strange, both due to the fact he had been set free once more and that it was now a close friend of his set him free and not some shady character he didn't know. Tryzen didn't allow Azaroth any time to contemplate on things, grabbing him by his collar and pulling him up to his feet.

" What are you thinking about now? Here, take this," Tryzen replied. Azaroth saw Tryzen placing a butterfly wing in his hands. Tryzen promptly threw two others towards Krayken and Serene, who caught the item deftly. " I've already set the destination on the thing. Just crush it."

All four of them crushed their butterfly wing respectively. There was a sparkle as the thing turned into dust, but nothing further happened.

" Well, that was unexpected..." Tryzen said.

" Why aren't they working?!" Serene cried in alarm.

" Perhaps the seals on his cell doors and cuffs aren't the only seals they had placed in this area..." Tryzen mused.

" What now?" Krayken asked, sounding slightly worried. Serene looked at him funnily. Those were the only two words she had heard coming out of his mouth throughout the entire rescue session. _Did it only take a very serious predicament to force him to say something?_

" Hey, no worries...I always have a back-up plan, although they may be unconventional at most times," Tryzen replied. He started to cast his spell, and the three of them could feel the strength of his magic. Collecting lightning to the palms of his hands, he then blasted the wall right across them, which exploded into smithereens, sending chunks of rocks all over the place. The rest of them had to cover themselves from all the flying rocks and stone from hitting them in the face.

The blast blew open a hole in the wall that lead upstairs, the surrounding hole sizzling from all the electrical energy he had blasted through the place. He started to climb up from the newly made pathway.

" It is 100 percent unconventional, alright," Serene muttered to herself, following him quickly.

-

Melanie swung her shield in a wide arc, trying to hit Vermillion off her footing, but Vermillion backed off just in time. Vermillion was now panting heavily. Even though the wide area was giving her an advantage by giving her enough space to move about, she had been badly beaten by Melanie before. She was in no position to attack Melanie at any rate, as she was losing blood and strength quickly. Melanie's constitution was just simply monstrous. She still moved about with the same agility when Vermillion attacked her earlier. It felt like all the blows Vermillion landed upon her were just absorbed, like a sponge. If nothing, Melanie seemed to be coming back stronger than ever, possibly due to her nature of never wanting to loose in a match.

Screaming loudly, Melanie charged forward, her shield raised, poised to act like her battering ram. Indeed, Melanie herself was a battering ram by herself, her heavy armour capable of knocking anyone aside like paper who was half her weight. Vermillion leaped out of the way, missing the dangerous charging. She picked herself up quickly. She was unable to fight any further. Her injuries had reached a point where even dodging attacks would worsen the wounds that already had been inflicted upon her body.

All of a sudden, there was a large explosion somewhere. Both of them were slightly distracted by the noise, turning to the right to see smoke emerging from their right. Melanie turned back to Vermillion, who seemed to be smiling all of a sudden.

" What so funny?" Melanie asked.

" What's funny? That's the signal I've been waiting for," Vermillion replied, grinning.

" Signal?" Melanie asked, bracing herself. _Was Vermillion trying to escape? Did the sound of the explosion mean that they have successfully gotten Azaroth out?_ Melanie thought. _She isn't in any position to use a teleport spell, and if I keep my distance close enough, I can intercept her quick enough if she uses a teleport device._

" The signal to finish this fight right now..." Vermillion growled, digging into her pouch swiftly. Thinking she was reaching for a weapon, she raised her shield and stood in a defensive position just in case she was taking out a throwing projectile. However, her eyes widened when she saw what Vermillion took out.

" ...Pity we will have to have a rematch later," Vermillion laughed, crushing the butterfly wing in her hands. Melanie realised that the barrier to prevent people from escaping was only set within the building. She leaped forward, but Vermillion's body disappeared in a sparkle of white light.

" Damn it, damn you and damn Azaroth!" Melanie started cursing.

-

" Where the heck are we heading to?" Azaroth exclaimed.

" Just you wait...we are getting out of here...have a little faith in me, will you? I know that's hard to believe for a guy whom you haven't met in years, but trust me. I never failed you before when I do say that, do I?" Tryzen asked.

All of a sudden, a whole squadron of knights and crusaders appeared right in front of them, their entire line blocking their way. Turning around, they saw another squadron covering their tracks. To their right was the building, and to their left was the high stone wall that surrounded it, which was now lined with priests and monks. They were now effectively trapped, all four of them pressing their backs against one another.

" The four of you! Throw down your weapons now and surrender, or we will promise you we will kill you painfully on the spot!" one of the knights replied, pointing their swords at them.

" I'm unarmed, moron," Azaroth muttered under his breath. He looked at Tryzen. His friend was still smiling, as if they had actually escaped already. He still had something up his sleeve. Krayken and Serene looked around, wondering how to get past this mess.

All of a sudden, Azaroth felt a whoosh of air right before him, right before he was partially blinded by a pillar of light that appeared right behind him. Just like Serene and Krayken, along with the rest of the people who were surrounding them, he was surprised to see a warp portal appear out of nowhere, although Krayken's mask masked most of his surprised. The only one who seemed to be expecting it was Tryzen.

" Perfect!" Tryzen exclaimed. Taking a step back, he disappeared into the warp portal. Azaroth, Serene and Krayken wasted no time in following him quickly. Before anyone could say anything else, the four of them disappeared in less than a second, the warp portal closed immediately after Serene went in. There was a long moment of silence as all eyes were trained on the spot where the four of them disappeared.

Up against the stone wall stood Selene, looking down calmly on the spot where they left.


	24. Chapter 23: Exiles

**Chapter 23: Exiles**

Azaroth started to wonder where he was. Stepping out of the warp portal, his eyes were greeted by lush greenery. He was now out on an open plain, large acres of grass lay before him in a backdrop of mountains. Right behind him was a forest. The wind blew suddenly, and he had to close his eyes to prevent the wind from irritating his eyes. Wherever he was, he was far off from Prontera, that was for sure.

" You guys sure took your time..." a teasing voice called out to them from behind. All of them spun around to see Vermillion leaning on a tree right behind them. She looked worse for wear, with cuts and wounds all over the place. The four of them ran up to her immediately.

" Vermillion...oh my God..." Serene gasped, seeing all the blood everywhere.

" Hey, I'll live, elf, but I would really appreciate it if you could at least bandage my wounds. I've been bleeding my guts all over the place!" Vermillion exclaimed. This made Azaroth burst into laughter, which seem to annoy Vermillion slightly. " Oh, so it's damn funny watching me bleed all over the place, huh?! Do you know of the trouble I went through to get the shit beaten out of me to get you out?!"

" Don't say that, V. If you can make such a comment, then I don't have to worry about your life, then," Azaroth replied. Tryzen burst out laughing as well, and Serene giggled. Krayken was the only one who stayed silent, besides Vermillion that is. She made a menacing growl, and turned her head away as she started to sulk.

" Thanks for saving me anyway," Azaroth said. " Thanks to all of you..."

Vermillion's reply took them totally by surprise. Despite her bleeding all over the place, she found enough strength to get up and grab Azaroth by the collar. She then followed it up by shaking him back and forth, exclaiming " You dumb nut, how dare you get yourself caught again, huh? You can't even protect a useless piece of shit like yourself! You suck!"

" Hey, why are you trying to kill a guy we rescued?" Tryzen asked. Krayken stepped in immediately broke Vermillion's grip upon Azaroth, pushing her down. Vermillion wanted to resist, but decided she didn't have the energy for it. She gave a loud, audible huff as she laid herself back down on the grassy floor, allowing Serene to take out some cloth to use as bandages.

Clapping Azaroth on his back, Tryzen stood up and said " How about a walk? I haven't done that with you in ages."

-

Both Azaroth and Tryzen walked down along the grassy plains quietly side-by-side, enjoying the tranquility. Azaroth tried to look around to figure out where they were, and although the surrounding area looks like an area from his village, the geography and landscape was totally different from what he had seen, thus he was unable to pinpoint the exact spot of where they were.

" Somewhere miles north of Prontera," Tryzen replied, reading Azaroth's thoughts.

" You know I hate that...at least let me ask the question first. After all, you will answer them eventually," Azaroth replied. Tryzen chuckled, giving Azaroth a familiar grin which he had not seen in years. Azaroth could only grin back.

" No thank you for rescuing you? What's this?" Tryzen asked jokingly.

" I believe I already thanked you already, egoistic bastard!" Azaroth scowled.

" God, I risked my life to save you, and all I get is some lukewarm reply that is nothing of a thank you that is even worthy for a dog," Tryzen huffed. " What's this? I thought our friendship was much better than this."

As a reply, Azaroth sudden grabbed Tryzen by the neck from behind, tightly wrapping his head around his arms and roughly messed up his hair before releasing him, dropping him hard on the floor. " How was that?!" Azaroth demanded.

" Much better. I haven't experienced that in a long time now," Tryzen laughed. Both of them burst out laughing like a couple of young boys who had just finished playing a prank upon an innocent victim and had somehow managed to get away with it. They didn't stop laughing until both of them were out of breath.

" I can't believe you...ten years and not a single visit," Tryzen gasped.

" I must return that remark. I know you are obsessed with magic development from all the horrible rambling I received from your insanely long letters, but really, you could have at least dropped by home for a day or two," Azaroth answered.

" You know how much I despised that lousy village," Tryzen spat.

" Yeah, possibly...but that's my home. Besides, I couldn't afford to go to Geffen. Do you know how far it is? I earn my keep by skinning animals, and that is no way to pay for fares on rides upon airships nor teleport spells," Azaroth replied.

" You could have gotten Vermillion to warp you to Geffen," Tryzen argued.

" Vermillion is a moron. She only learned how to use warp portals recently. I had plans to do that, but then there was my timely arrest. Why did it take a death penalty to get your arse off that seat of yours to come get me, huh?" Azaroth asked.

" You were not very worth it back then," Tryzen replied, sitting down on the grassy plain, watching the wind blow the clouds. Azaroth followed suit, lying down right next to Tryzen, watching the blue sky hover above him. The azure scene had them at ease.

" How's Sapphire?" Azaroth asked.

" She's doing fine," Tryzen replied.

" I heard you were getting married soon..." Azaroth mused.

" She has graciously allowed me to push the wedding date back a little bit," Tryzen answered.

" I guess I need to thank her when I do meet her...eventually," Azaroth laughed.

A moment of silence passed between the both of them before Azaroth spoke up.

" So, what do you want to start talking about now?"

-

" Can you believe the amount of time they have spent talking!? Even lovers don't talk this much! Those buggers are having too much time by themselves!" Vermillion growled loudly, watching Azaroth and Tryzen chatting amicably to one another from afar. Serene had finished bandaging her wounds and she was feeling much better now.

" You don't even love anyone, how would you know? Besides, what are you complaining about? Sounds like you are jealous..." Serene teased.

" Hell like I am! To hell with those two!" Vermillion exclaimed loudly, leaping to her feet in an instant.

" V! Stop that! If you make any sudden movements you will open your wound again," Serene exclaimed in alarm. Almost instantly, she spotted the bandages around Vermillion starting to stain red. A couple of drops of blood started to wet the grassy floor.

" To hell with my injuries! Like I care!" Vermillion replied, making rough hand gestures as she spoke. However, after a while, she sat back down on the floor, groaning painfully. " Alright, I think I will care, because it's starting to hurt like hell...ouch..."

Serene sighed in resignation, rolling up her eyes as she bent down next to Vermillion to tend to her wounds yet again. She wondered if they seriously needed to consider drugging her to keep her quiet. " Why are you so upset? It's not like Azaroth was your boyfriend and Tryzen took him away or something."

" Pfft, I'd like a little bit more appreciation after what I had been through," Vermillion replied, puffing her cheeks hilariously.

" Aww, V wants some attention...how about I give it to you? I appreciate your efforts, V," Serene cheekily replied, hugging her closely.

" Pfft, it's not the same," Vermillion replied. " Are you trying to hit on me?"

" Nope, just wanting to make you feel better," Serene replied, hugging Vermillion closely. Vermillion didn't know what to say, except that she found herself blushing terribly after this, although the sensation of Serene's arms around her neck and her face against her cheeks was absolutely comforting.

" If I were a guy, I'd ask you out on a date," Vermillion replied honestly.

" You already are a guy, V, so that makes no difference," Krayken mused.

" Shut up, you self-suffering jackass! Who gave you the bloody right to address me as V, eh?! Only Azy has that right! Serene saying it is already pushing it! I will not hear it from you, and you will not speak of it!" Vermillion spat, her finger waving right up at Krayken. He merely looked at her, then made some noise and shrugged his shoulders before replying " Whatever, V."

-

" Sounds like Vermillion is alright..." Azaroth mused, turning around as he heard Vermillion's shrill voice in the air once again ringing in the air.

" Perhaps...guess we don't need to worry about her anymore," Tryzen said.

" What do you plan on doing right after this? It's obvious we can't go back to the capital, and it's probably not possible to go to any of the villages anymore. We will have to live in the wild like exiles, unless you want to consider less hospitable places like Glastheim, which I doubt any of you would find fanciful," Azaroth mused quietly.

" Don't mind me interrupting, but how about the Payon forests?" Serene suddenly suggested, coming up behind them. Azaroth looked behind him to see Serene standing right next to him, her arms akimbo. She gave him a grin.

" Payon forest?" Krayken mused, following up behind her while being tailed by a rather irritated and furious looking Vermillion.

" That were I live. We could go there," Serene suggested.

" You can't be serious! You expect to hide us in your home town?! I mean, sure, your elven kind might tolerate you even if the human world hates your guts, but I'm sure that they wouldn't want to keep us around," Vermillion interjected, forgetting about disturbing Krayken for his remark for a while.

" You don't understand. I'm not taking you to my forest city in Payon. I'm just taking you to the forest of Payon. I'm pretty familiar with the forest, and besides the city of the elves in the forest, it's like my second home there. It's well away from the elven city, and isolated far enough from the human lands. If we want to hide with ease, that should be the best place. After all, it's a place only I'm familiar with, and not you humans...not trying to insult your abilities..." Serene replied, raising her hands.

" Relax, none taken," Tryzen replied, picking himself out. " Well, at any rate, we can't hang around here. It's still pretty close to Prontera, and I'm sure they are mobilising their troops as we speak. If we move out now, we could make it to Payon within a day or two. No point wasting our time here. If Vermillion's fit to go, we shall move out."

" I'm always ready to go!" Vermillion exclaimed.

" If she wasn't, we would just drag her along anyway," Krayken muttered under his breath. Thankfully, he knew how to keep his volume low enough that it was inaudible to Vermillion's ears. Krayken took out a rather long knife with its sheath still intact and tossed it unceremoniously towards Azaroth, who caught it deftly.

" It won't match your swords, but that will have to do for now," Krayken replied.

" Thanks a lot," Azaroth said, taking the blade out of its sheath and throwing it around, testing the weight of the blade before slipping it upon his pants. Both his swords were probably still locked up somewhere in some storage area in Prontera, but he could live with that. His swords were much less important than his life, or his freedom.

---

Selene walked back towards the monastery where her room was located. The place was bustling slightly with all the commotion going about in Azaroth's escape yet once again. Selene had to tell herself that was a pretty bold act that Tryzen pulled, blowing up the dungeons in an attempt to get Azaroth out of the place. Was that all just a bold reckless act of the moment, or did he actually have a plan? After all in the letter he sent to her, the opening of a warp portal was to be used as a last resort. Did this mean he had planned something all along?

Selene decided not to think about it. As her hand reached out to open the door to her room, she felt a metallic hand grab her from behind. Before she could react, the being behind her spun her around and slammed her hard on the stony wall behind her, pressing both steel hands down upon her shoulder. Selene looked up nonchalantly towards Melanie, who seemed to be frowning.

" You opened that warp portal, didn't you?" Melanie scowled.

" Oh...jumping into conclusions, are we?" Selene chuckled.

Melanie griped Selene even harder, her steel gloves digging rather painfully into Selene's shoulders. " Don't mess with me. There is no one else around the area who would have opened a warp portal except you. Were you the one who warped him away when he escaped the first time?" Melanie asked. Selene kept silent, her expression calm and empty. " Tell me!" she demanded, louder this time.

Both of them were interrupted by the sound of Selene's door opening. Meillienne was wondering what was going on outside Selene's room, and she was greeted by the sight of Selene being pinned upon the wall by some fierce looking crusaders who looked like she was ready to break her neck. Meillienne recoiled slightly in terror, seeing the situation.

" This is nothing, Meillienne. Go back inside. I just have some things to discuss with 'Captain' Melanie here," Selene said softly, smiling at the young girl. Melanie gritted her teeth. Meillienne of course didn't know the sarcastic remark on the emphasis of the word Captain. Meillienne nodded, backing inside and closing the door.

" Who is that?" Melanie asked, slightly distracted.

" Oh, I went to Morroc for a while, and guess what, I apparently found some talent for the church. Meillienne here wants to become an acolyte, and I think she has what it takes to become one. So, I took the liberty to take her back," Selene answered casually.

" What about her parents?" Melanie asked.

" She's here with me...I should sufficient," a deep voice growled. Both of them turned to see Grimjaw standing by the corridor, his usual cigarette in his mouth. The door of Selene's door opened again, and Meillienne poked her head out of the door once more, only to let Grimjaw berate her by saying " I believe Selene asked you to stay inside. Why are you out again?" Meillienne gave a squeak and went back inside, slamming the door shut this time.

" Who are you?" Melanie demanded.

" If you release your grip on the priestess maybe I'll consider telling you," Grimjaw replied, grinning maniacally.

" Why you..."

Before Melanie finished her sentence, Selene pushed her away. Melanie was surprised to see the priestess being able to push Melanie back with such ease, despite her strength and weight.

" I believe I have already told you my reasons for my actions. Whether you believe me or not, or whether you wish to arrest me on the spot, I could care less, except knowing the fact that you are making a big mistake. I may have an interesting update for you. Apparently, the cardinals are not what they seem," Selene replied haughtily.

" What now?" Melanie growled.

" The cardinals who appeared in Azaroth's trial are demons, Captain. Not to mention that they annihilated the entire 13th Platoon of the 6th Squadron from our division while on an excursion to Morroc," Selene replied.

Melanie wasn't too sure what to comment on first: the cardinals were demons, they destroyed an entire platoon from her division, Azaroth was 'presumably' previously there from what she guessed or the main reason Selene went to Morroc was to see Azaroth who was 'presumably' previously there. Grimjaw looked at the exchange, wondering why in the world was Selene exchanging information to a person who looked pretty hostile.

" What?" was all Melanie could say.

" SA-432, EW-654," Selene continued.

" Have you lost your mind these last few days?!" Melanie demanded, raising her voice.

" Those are coordinates for an area outside of Morroc. Go there and see for yourself whether I'm telling the truth or now," Selene replied, turning her back to Melanie.

Melanie, however, wasn't done by far. As soon as Selene turned her back against her, she reached out and grabbed her shoulder again, hard. However, this time, Melanie saw something cut in, something sharp and shiny. One of Grimjaw's knives flew out, smashing into Melanie's gloves, knocking her hand aside. Melanie immediately had her sword out, and it was met with another of Grimjaw's knives, the blade smashing in mid-air, sending sparks all over the place as they collided. The next attack came from Selene, and it was in the form of a fist and it went directly towards Grimjaw's jaw. The punch hit him, but Selene wasn't really a strong person, so Grimjaw merely shrugged it off, although he was pretty surprised at the strike.

" What the hell do you think you are doing, Grimjaw!?" Selene exclaimed, shouting loudly.

" What?! I...she was..." Grimjaw stammered.

" I could care less on what she did, but you are absolutely forbidden to draw your wretched knives on my friends, Melanie of all people!" Selene scolded.

Grimjaw looked at Selene in confusion, rubbing the spot where the punch had connected. Grimjaw looked apprehensively at Melanie, who frowned at him, before turning to Selene, who looked rather angry. Grinning maniacally all of a sudden, he shrugged his shoulders and replied " I'm not going to argue, lady," before stepping back into Selene's room, where he was greeted by Meillienne.

" Perhaps you don't trust me, but there is probably nothing I can say for my defense. So, I just ask you to go there, take a look, and come back and tell me what you think," Selene said. She turned around and went back into the room before Melanie could say anything. After a minute of looking at the cracked, wooden door, Melanie cursed and walked away in a huff.

-

" You seem highly strung nowadays, Selene," Teranis commented while she was sitting on a nearby sofa, reading a large tome, her glasses hanging precariously on the edge of her nose. She looked up at Selene who walked in, looking slightly pissed at whatever that's happening.

" Care to repeat that!?" Selene exclaimed.

" I have made my point," Teranis replied, placing her book down and taking off her glasses.

Selene sighed and sat down on the floor, not caring that it was dirty, she just needed somewhere where she could just sit down and allow her troubles to wash away. Grimjaw as usual kept quiet, sitting by the edge of the room's window, his legs hanging about on the outside. However, it was Meillienne who first took action. She stood up and walked up to Selene, who looked up at the young girl, wondering what she wanted now.

" You are depressed right?" she asked. Selene wondered how to answer to that question.

" I'm sorry to whatever that happened to your...um, companions," Meillienne apologised.

Selene sighed deeply, figuring she had been putting everyone down. She stood up and patted the young girl on her head. " I'm sorry I'm being like this. Thank you for your concern anyway," Selene replied, getting up. " Perhaps it might be better to express my emotions towards other parties. Come, Meillienne, shall we start enlisting you as an acolyte?"

" Eh? Wouldn't that be dangerous? And what do you mean other parties?" Meillienne asked, slightly confused.

" Just follow her, Meillienne. You will find out soon enough," Teranis replied, leaning back on the sofa she was on, trying to get some rest.

-

Melanie's footsteps could be heard echoing down the corridor of the army offices, clanking hard upon the floor as if she was willing it to break apart from her vicious stomping. She was a bit confused, and with all the events happening, no one could blame her.

_Cardinals are demons?! A whole platoon killed?! You have to be kidding me...if that even happened, how come we never noticed it, _Melanie asked loudly to herself in her head. She had a lot of respect for Selene, although it sounded like she was loosing her mind. _Yet, what was that look in her face? Anger? Anguish?_ Melanie couldn't fathom.

She trooped into the record office, people moving out of her way when they spotted what looked like an enraged demon enter, all of them well aware what Melanie was capable of doing under such situations. She made her way along the aisles, looking around all the files and papers lined up along the shelves and drawers. She made her way along the record department where they kept logs of where the platoon and squadrons were sent. She had familiarised herself with the place, reaching out for a log at the bottom of the shelf and flipping it open.

From what she saw, the platoon listed was sent to patrol Glastheim on the result of suspicious activity. They were to spend some time there, and will be back by the end of the week. Melanie replaced back the file on the shelf and left immediately, needing to take care of some things. However, on the way out, she spotted Maycron, one of her 'underlings'. On the way out, she grabbed him by the collar and forcibly pulled him out.

" Commander, I assure you whatever it is it's totally not my fault this time...unless maybe if it has something to do with Soreen..." Maycron howled as his superior yanked him out of the room.


	25. Chapter 24: Application

**Chapter 24: Application**

Meillienne looked up apprehensively at the five people sitting upon a long desk situated a level above her head. The five people were made up off the top ranking people in the church, the High Priests, some orderlies plus a cardinal. Meillienne felt rather nervous, feeling like she was being judged like some criminal of some sort. She had been brought here for an examination of some sort, in order for the church to accept her as an acolyte.

Meillienne twiddled her fingers nervously as she watched the men seated above her whisper to one another in hushed voices, discussing about Meillienne's fate. She had just finished a short demonstration of her powers, healing a cut Selene made on her hand. Now, she was patiently waiting for them to reply. She looked behind her for a while, glancing at Selene, who gave her an encouraging nod.

" Meillienne, is it?" the cardinal spoke.

" Yes," Meillienne responded quickly, bowing her head.

The cardinal stroked his chin, looking at some chart of some sort. Selene frowned at this cardinal. As far as she could remember, this was a strict old cardinal, and by the way he was looking at Meillienne in general, it looked like he was disapproving of her.

" What's your family name?" he asked.

" Crescent," Selene lied, blurting out the first name she could think of.

" Windwalker," Meillienne calmly replied. Selene raised her eyebrows, wondering what she was up to. That wasn't going as planned. The five people whispered between each other again, and the cardinal seemed to be smirking.

" Where are you from?" one of the High Priests asked.

" One of the exterior villages outside Comodo," Selene answered again on Meillienne's behalf.

" Morroc," Meillienne corrected.

Selene raised her eyebrows. She could not fanthom what Meillienne was planning right now. Before they came here, Selene had given her some advice on how to act.

" Look, the higher echelons from the church aren't going to be too happy to let a person from Morroc into the church, alright. So, if possible, keep your background about your hometown to the least as possible. If that's not possible, I'll answer on your behalf," Selene said, kneeling down and placing both her hands on her shoulder when she told Meillienne that. Meillienne thought for a while, then nodded her head while smiling.

_So, what is she doing now?_ Selene thought to herself.

The cardinal placed his papers aside and looked at Meillienne calmly. " Well, I must say, Meillienne, that was a pretty impressive performance you made for us..."

" But unfortunately don't like it because you are a racist," Meillienne replied.

There was absolute silence in the room for a while as Meillienne spoke those words. Selene's eyes widened in surprise when she heard, along with the five other people judging her. Saying that one could hear a pin drop in the room was quite an understatement for the situation. One could 'clearly' hear a pin drop in the room. Meillienne merely twiddled her fingers and looked aside. Apparently some part of the floor held more interest to her.

" What did you just say?" the cardinal asked.

" You heard me the first time, so I don't think I'll repeat myself unless you are about as old as I think you are. You are an apparently lousy judge if I could figure out that you don't like me even before you tell me that," Meillienne replied, still looking at the floor and twiddling her thumbs.

" Such impudence..." one of the high priests exclaimed.

" I'm sure that somewhere in the Bible it says that one should not care about where people come from, but open willing arms to accept them. That is evidently not what you are doing, since you are more interested in my background and my family name. After all, I'm sure almost none of the people who come here to apply to become an acolyte has shown such skill, save a few exceptional ones, but you don't seemed interested in my ability and willingness to serve, but more that I came from Morroc," Meillienne replied with a straight face, with the exact expression she always used. " And you also assumed that since I was from Morroc, I'd be some ignorant person. I perhaps know more of the quotes in the Bible than all of you do."

The five men looked incredulously at Meillienne. Selene had to totally stifle her laugher.

" Of course, you don't fancy us Morrocans, that's why you are screening us out. But really, I can go in the church and pick out a few people who are really Morroccans just to prove how stupid your filtering system is, picking on a young sixteen year old on her background seems like the best you can do," Meillienne continued. " I'm sure that you were about to use my brother, Izlan, who is a rogue, against me and state that a person such as me who is affiliated to such a person should not be induced into the church."

" Isn't your brother..."

" Looking at the fact that you could instantly correct my lie upon the fact that I don't have a brother named Izlan but instead is Grimjaw, which I'm sure all of you know by now, only proves my previous statement, along with my initial argument that you are all racists, correct and true," Meillienne replied.

" How dare you insult us in such a manner!" the cardinal roared, obviously pissed.

" Your anger is only a testament to my brilliance," Meillienne replied softly, blushing.

" You will never be accepted!" he roared.

" Save your breath. I knew I was never going to be accepted when I stepped into the room, but I thought it would be imprudent to waste my session with you people," Meillienne replied, blushing even harder.

This was the last Selene could stand, and despite the situation, she started to burst out into giggles. The five men who sat on the high table apparently did not hear her, too shocked and transfixed on Meillienne's words.

" I'm right, you are wrong, and there is nothing you can do about it," Meillienne replied, smiling sweetly at them. Selene was totally surprised that Meillienne had the ability to sarcastically insult people while keeping such a straight, sweet, innocent face.

They were interrupted by the sound of someone clapping his or her hands. Turning around, they spotted a figure dressed in rather majestic robes of crimson and snow white, along with a matching High Priest attire. The lady brushed back her short, lustrous hair as she stepped in the hall gracefully, her steps silent on the carpeted floor.

" Oh...your Highness, Reinne Malkenthos!" Meillienne exclaimed in surprise, immediately dropping to her knees, bowing down respectfully.

" My, my...I haven't met another person who could insult people like that, even without any personal standings..." Reinne laughed good-naturedly as she stepped in. Looking at Meillienne who was bowing down, she went up next to her and said " Oh, please, I hate people kneeling down in front of me unless I ask them personally to."

" Eh...er, if you insist," Meillienne said, blushing as she stood up.

" Well, I must say, you sure found someone interesting this time, Morroc of all places, eh Sister?" Reinne laughed.

" Um...please don't address me as such..." Selene stammered, this time the one blushing.

" Your Highness, what are you doing here?" one of the high priests asked.

" Oh, just looking around. But anyway, since I'm here, and I was pretty impressed with your speech about wanting to become an acolyte, I think we are in agreement that we shall accept Meillienne as one of us, no?" Reinne replied.

" But, Your Highness..."

" I remember saying that we were in agreement, didn't I?" Reinne scowled, raising her eyebrows.

" But..."

" Hmm?" Reinne scowled, raising her eyebrows even higher.

"...Yes, Your Highness..."

" Excellent. Meillienne, welcome to the Holy Order. Come now, why don't you follow me and tell me a bit about yourself," Reinne said, patting Meillienne affectionately on her back. Meillienne seemed to be swooning being in the presence of royalty, and she looked like she was about to faint. Reinne guided the two of them outside.

" Sister, I sincerely hope you don't mind me taking her along," Reinne said.

" ...I told you not to call me that..."

" Why not? You are 6 years older than me..." Reinne laughed.

" Please don't make me feel old, Reinne," Selene sighed.

" Well, if you can casually call me Reinne, then I can very well call you Sister," Reinne argued.

" That's because you ordered me to," Selene retorted patiently.

" Fine then, I make it another order this time..." Reinne laughed.

_How can she be the royal princess when she acts upon things on a whim? _Selene thought, before smiling to herself. _Perhaps it's for the best._ Then, a thought occurred to her.

" Reinne, I hope I'm not pressing upon too hard, but I was hoping you could keep Meillienne for a while. I have some business to take care of, and I don't think Meillienne might be safe around with me," Selene asked.

Reinne turned around and looked at her. " Sure, just make sure you come back in one piece," she replied smiling.

" Um, you will be back right?" Meillienne asked, looking back at Selene.

" Yes, I will...I'll tell your brother the good news," she said.

Meillienne's face lighted up. " Please do!"

---

" So, how'd it go?" Teranis asked Selene as soon as she entered the room without dropping her book. However, hearing the lack of footsteps made her put down her book and take a look. " Hey, where did Meillienne go to? I thought she was with you?!"

" I've asked Reinne Malkenthos to take care of her for a while, seeing the situation we are dealing with here. Don't worry, Grimjaw. She has been accepted as an acolyte, and she is in capable hands under Reinne," Selene said, facing Grimjaw who was still hanging off the ledge of the window, smoking what looked like a new cigarette.

" Reinne? Who's she?" Grimjaw asked.

" The Princess and daughter of the King," Selene quickly replied.

" Ah, go figure. No wonder I've heard that name before. I think Meillienne mentioned it a few times," Grimjaw muttered, taking another puff and blowing the smoke out of the room. " Why was she placed with Reinne anyway?"

Selene looked at Grimjaw funnily, wondering why was he addressing the princess of Rune-Midguard so casually, but then remembering her previous encounter with her and knowing her habits, Reinne would probably not kind him at all. Perhaps he was just less morally inclined than his sister.

" Reinne just dropped by after insulting the higher echelons. Since we are investigating the Holy Order now, she might be in danger if she stayed with us, so I asked Reinne to take care of her for a while. She should be safe with her after all," Selene answered.

" Well thought of," Grimjaw said.

" Wait a second, what did you say?" Teranis suddenly exclaimed.

" That she was under Reinne's care?"

" No, something about insulting the higher echelons," Teranis replied. Both of them turned to Grimjaw as he suddenly started chuckling all of a sudden, small puffs of smoke billowing out of his mouth each time he chuckled. His chuckling slowly turned into a hearty laugh. It was pretty scary seeing him laugh, especially with his scared features of his face as he cackled with laughter.

" Looks I was a pretty good teacher," he laughed.

" You asked her to insult them?!" Selene exclaimed, almost sounding angry.

" You misunderstand me, priestess. I didn't ask her to insult them. I always told her to make the best out of every situation. I go under the assumption that they didn't like her initially and she then insulted them before Reinne came in and decided to pull ranks," Grimjaw replied.

" You sound like you were there," Teranis replied, lowering her glasses even further as she looked at him.

" Let's just say I know my sister very well and that we rogues assume a lot," Grimjaw replied. " Anyway, with my sister out of the picture, what are we going to do now?"

---

Meillienne looked around wide-eyed at Reinne's room in awe. Reinne had taken her to her quarters, which surprisingly wasn't located at the castle. In fact, Meillienne had been taken along a trip all along the army barracks, weaving through the crowd of soldiers: knights, crusaders, hunters, swordsmen and archers. Meillienne tagged along behind Reinne like some little puppy, keeping close.

" Where are we going?" Meillienne asked tentatively.

" My quarters, where else. We can wash you up and freshen you up before we start," Reinne replied.

" And...um, why are we here?" Meillienne asked.

" Didn't you hear me just now?"

" Your quarters in the army barracks?"

" Well, not exactly, but all the division commanders stay in the main administration centre of the army. That's where my quarters is. Yes, I do have a nice room in the castle itself, but I rarely use it since I'm usually here, and besides, it takes quite a walk, and I'm just too lazy to walk that far," Reinne answered.

Meillienne looked around, noticing that several people were staring at her as she was tagging along with Reinne, wondering what business she had with a child like her. Reinne walked along, moving deeper into the army centre. Several sentries bowed slightly at her presence.

The administration centre for the army was a pretty impressive place. It was a large building that stood three stories tall and about the size of an average wheat field wide. It looked pretty old though, tell-tale signs of age visible on the brown, crumbling stone that held the building in one piece. Large flags of Prontera and it's affiliates were hoisted in place, along with the banner for the Pronteran army, a big bloody red flag with double crosses made from a two-handed sword, a large axe, a staff and arrow, all of them placed upon the background of a shield, with every equipment intricately designed.

" Wow..." Meillienne gasped.

" Yeah, wow..." Reinne replied, chuckling slightly, heading to the back of the building where her room was located.

Reinne's room was pretty luxurious for Meillienne's standards. The floor was made entirely of marble, and Meillienne could even see the reflection of her face upon the cold marble surface. There was a large four poster bed by the corner, and from the looks, it looked like it the frame was made from ivory. There were stacks and stacks of books lined all over the place, ranging from all topics. Meillienne's eyes seemed to sparkle at the sight of the number of books around the place. Reinne noticed Meillienne's expression.

" Avid fan of books?" Reinne asked.

" Oh yes," Meillienne replied, running up to a shelf to take a look at all the books.

" Feel free to take a look if you wish," Reinne replied, pouring herself a drink. " However, why don't you take a bath first. When you are done, we can discuss what to do next. Towels are in the bathroom, help yourself."

Meillienne wondered if she was even allowed to do that. Reinne waved her hand, asking her to go. Meillienne left towards the bathroom, locking the door as she entered. A second later, Reinne could hear the water running out from one of the taps.

" Why are you hiding in the balcony?" Reinne asked, sighing as she took another sip on her glass.

The door of the balcony opened, and the figure of Aesis stepped in, giving her a sheepish smile. Reinne raised her eyebrows, seeing Aesis act in such a manner. She merely shrugged as she took another sip of her drink.

" I didn't know you were having a guest, so I decided to hide in the balcony to avoid any misunderstanding. Who is she anyway? A new fan of yours?" Aesis asked.

" You know, you should stop this bad habit of your of coming into us division commanders rooms without permission, especially us females. I mean, what would everyone think about it?" Reinne sighed.

" You are avoiding the question," Aesis argued.

" And you are avoiding the situation," Reinne retorted. Aesis merely shrugged his shoulders.

" Her name is Meillienne Windwalker. She's some piece of talent Selene managed to pick up. However, it seems that Selene has some things to take care of, so she has asked me to take care of her for a while. She's a new acolyte starting today," Reinne answered.

" I'm assuming she is from Morroc," Aesis replied.

" How'd you know that?" Reinne asked, raising her eyebrows.

" Windwalker isn't a common last name here, and moreover it sounds Moroccans," Aesis replied. " What so interesting about her?"

" She is similar to me," Reinne answered.

" What? Bitchy?" Aesis quizzed, raising his eyebrows.

" No, this..." Reinne replied, snapping her fingers. Bright sparks were emitted as she snapped her fingers, leaving what looked like golden dust floating around in mid-air. Aesis folded his hands and rubbed his chin, smiling slightly.

" Interesting...so, we have two of you. She's make a good priestess," Azaroth replied.

" Perhaps...but I'm sure you didn't come here to discuss about a newly inducted acolyte. What is it that you want?" Reinne asked.

" Well, I've got some bad news..." Aesis admitted.

" Well, spill it out! You are in love with me..." Reinne sighed, taking another sip from her drink.

" Utter nonsense!" Aesis exclaimed.

" You think that the Dark Legion is rising once more," Reinne sighed.

" Eh? How'd you know that?" Aesis asked, perplexed that Reinne knew what he wanted to talk about.

" Don't assume that you know things much better than other people, Aesis. Do know that besides Melanie Stryfort, I have other sources of information where I can pluck out from. I assume that Melanie's talk with you had sprouted something in your mind to make you think that way. Perhaps what you think is true, but what do you really think about it?" Reinne mused.

" It can't be happening...logically speaking, unless someone else besides Aeris is commanding the legion, which I find highly unlikely. And it is not possible that he could do that now, since he is long dead," Aesis replied.

" One of his generals, perhaps?" Reinne suggested.

" There is a possibility...well, a possibility I hate to consider. After all, the on-goings about this Azaroth Crimson is making me think again. Feels like a funny development of events, don't you think?" Aesis asked.

" What is this Azaroth Crimson to you?" Reinne asked.

" For starters, I knew his father...personally," Aesis answered. It was Reinne's turn to raise her eyebrows.

" Personally?"

" Long story...perhaps there is more than meets the eye..." Aesis said, musing.

" What do you plan on doing?" Reinne asked.

" Nothing. There is nothing much I can really do about it as of yet. We will have to wait for developments before I act. Keeping an eye on the cardinals might be a good idea," Aesis replied.

" You think some of them are involved in this?" Reinne questioned.

" I don't think...I'm quite certain," Aesis replied, walking out of the room. " I'll see you around then."

Reinne wondered why did Aesis decide to leave all of a sudden, before realising that the sound of running water had stopped coming from the bathroom. It seems that Meillienne had finished her bath. Grinning at Aesis's attitude, she went up to her wardrobe and opened the lowest drawer. Fishing out a dress she had not worn in some time, she called out to Meillienne, saying " Mei, don't dress up yet. There is something I want you to wear."

Meillienne opened the door of the bathroom, steaming seeping out of the saturated bathroom. She had a towel around herself, and her head was dripping wet. However, Meillienne's eyes seemed to widen to the size of saucers when she saw what Reinne wanted her to wear.

" Haven't worn this in years. I think it'll suit you well," Reinne replied, smiling brightly.

---

" But commander, why do you want to go there?" Maycron asked.

" Just do as you are told. I have something to check upon there," Melanie scowled, barging down the lawn.

" What the heck is there to check in Morroc?" Maycron asked.

Loosing her cool, Melanie spun around and seemingly pounced upon Maycron, grabbing him and pushing him back against a conveniently placed tree nearby, fuming slightly. " You just do as you are told. Why the hell do you need to question my authority?!" Melanie snarled menacingly.

It most certainly took Melanie by surprise when Maycron grabbed her hands and roughly pushed her off before speaking his mind. " I've had it with you bossing the shit out of me today! I'm totally alright if you don't wish to tell me whatever it is you want to do in Morroc! I could care less if you were going to see someone there just to get laid, because I know damn well that you'd need some for a person like you!" Maycron exploded.

" What are you implying, you little..."

" You're pissed! I can very well see you are pissed! Fine! Who doesn't get pissed?! Just don't take it out on me! I'm doing you a favour here, so can you just stop breathing down my neck?!" Maycron yelled.

Melanie flung his arms away, cursing silently to herself as she walked several steps away. It took a while for her to cool down. She held her hand to her head, sighing deeply as she hung her head. Maycron softened up, never seeing his commander acting this way.

" Sorry, I spoke out of turn..." Maycron apologised.

" No, don't..."

" Wanna talk about it?"

" No, just get me to Morroc with no questions asked...please."

" Will do. I'll get my things and we will be off," Maycron replied, running off. Melanie watched him take off towards his quarters.

" Good Lord, why the heck am I so stressed out about?!" she moaned to herself, sinking down on the floor.


	26. Chapter 25: Fleeing to Payon

**Chapter 25: Fleeing to Payon**

Krayken looked out cautiously from the bush he was hiding behind. Several people who looked like soldiers from the army were traveling along the simple path they had taken, formed by countless people passing through the area. He narrowed his eyes, watching as they moved along. They sure were taking their own sweet time moving along.

It took several minutes for them to effectively leave the area. Until they moved across the field and passing through the trees several hundreds of meters away, Krayken did not dare try to come out from his hiding place. When they did disappear behind the cover of several trees only did Krayken emerge from the bush, moving up to the path that was flanked by trees.

" This sucks. We have been effectively hiding from three of these groups so far. By this rate, we'd never reach our destination," Vermillion scowled, stepping out from the forest.

" Quiet, you noisy woman!" Tryzen replied. Vermillion merely stuck out her tongue.

" Well, it's not like we can help it anyway," Serene replied, jumping off a branch of a tree where she hid within, landing perfectly upon the ground almost without a sound. " We can't afford them to see us, and traveling through uncharted areas might be a bit too difficult."

" I agree with Serene. We don't need to really rush that much. We can just easily keep to the path and follow it all the way. Besides, traversing the forest as a shortcut isn't a very wise idea. Don't worry, it's just three so far for today," Tryzen replied.

" Bleh!" Vermillion replied, sticking out her tongue.

With Krayken at the lead, the motley crew continued their way along the path towards Payon, where the elven forests were located. All Krayken needed was just to lead them towards Payon grounds. Serene will take it from there when she arrives on familiar grounds.

" Um, Azy, does he not speak at all?" Serene asked, nodding her head towards Krayken.

" Well, what do you want to talk about anyway?" Krayken mused, turning around, facing her.

" Um...well, no...I was just commenting that you are awfully quiet," Serene replied, stammering slightly.

" You want me to be as noisy as V?" Krayken suggested.

Vermillion spontaneously burst out in a flurry of words and curses, speaking them at a speed only possible by Vermillion.

" I rest my case," Krayken replied tiredly, turning to looked back ahead and continuing forward.

They trudged on for several hours now, thankfully not encountering another group of wandering soldiers from the capital, for this allowed for moments of peace when Vermillion wasn't exclaiming out stuff. Perhaps she just wanted to say out something, but decided it was more prudent that she unleash it out in her tirades. Vermillion had her arms folded, looking as if waiting for something to happen so she could start complaining again.

" You seem awfully quiet..." Serene replied.

" Oh...who? Me?" Azaroth asked, breaking out of his thoughts as Serene spoke to him.

" And awfully distracted as well," Serene added.

Azaroth didn't know what to say. He quietly walked along. Serene patiently waited for him to collect his thoughts first.

" I just don't know. I guess that I could feel glad that I'm out of jail now, but really, how long am I supposed to live such a life? Not to mention that people will still be chasing after me at any rate. I just ...I don't know...feel like I need to do something more than this...or perhaps I'm just thinking too much," Azaroth sighed.

" Perhaps you are..." Serene replied.

" Also, it's not like I hate all of you for rescuing me or anything, but really...you all are wasting your lives, spending effort on an outcast like me," Azaroth replied.

Serene chuckled lightly, which made Azaroth raise his eyebrows in surprise. " Honestly, Azaroth, I believe we have our own reasons why we wanted to rescue you, and for that I think they are important enough already," Serene answered.

" And what motivated you to act for me?" Azaroth asked.

Serene merely smiled sweetly at him, pressing a finger on her lips, saying " That will be my secret."

" Right, where are we precisely?" Tryzen asked, looking at the view of the landscape that was spread out before him over a small knoll, his hands covering the sun from his eyes .

Krayken bent down on the floor, drawing a crude map of the area with a small knife. " Prontera is, to my guess, somewhere 20 miles north of here. We are very near the border of Payon, and we should reach it within a mile's distance away. All we need now is to head east from here, and the path would take us right there. We could complete this walk by the tomorrow, or at best, today," he replied.

" Well, I don't think there is a need to rush too much. Let's take a break for now," Tryzen said.

" A break?! You are such a wuss!" Vermillion exclaimed.

Ignoring her, the rest of them got off the path they were on and walked off towards the forest, forcing her to follow them anyway. Krayken looked around, his senses trying to tell him things. The rest of them looked at him curiously, wondering what he was up to.

" I'm trying to find a nearby supply of water," Krayken explained, as he then set off in a certain direction.

" Well, you should have asked me, I could hear the river even before we entered the forest," Serene said.

" I'll keep that in mind next time," Krayken replied passively, his voice hiding any emotions that might have arisen from Serene's remark.

It didn't take them long, and both Krayken and Serene were right as they soon approached a stream somewhere within the forest. Azaroth immediately went up to the stream and cupped the cool, crisp water in his hands, drinking it immediately, savouring the taste. It felt really refreshing, as he had been walking, and hiding as well, all day.

" Oh well, since we are here anyway," Vermillion said, taking off her clothes. Both Azaroth and Serene turned a shade of red as Vermillion started to strip right in front of them, although Krayken and Tryzen didn't respond to that.

" Bah, you are about as good-looking as a …oof!" Tryzen replied, unable to finish his sentence when Vermillion threw her vest at him.

" Shut up, I know you have your 'lovely' Sapphire already," Vermillion smirked. All of a sudden, she leaped over them, splashing herself into the river, throwing water all over Azaroth and Krayken, who were the closest to the river. She emerged several seconds later, her head breaking the surface of the water as she took a deep breath after submerging herself underwater for some time.

" Um, does she normally do this?" Serene asked.

" She's shameless, that's what," Azaroth muttered, not too sure whether he had enough guts to take another sip of water from the river now that Vermillion had decided to bath in it.

" Aw, come on now, Azy, it's not like you are not enjoying it, right?" Tryzen teased, taking Vermillion's vest off his face, grinning. " After all, back then when we were kids…"

" That was when we were kids," Azaroth argued quickly, blushing even further.

" Doesn't change the fact that we still…"

" Shut up, Tryzen!" Azaroth snarled.

" Oi, you morons, stop your bickering and why don't you join me and take a bath in the river?! The water is just perfect! God, I haven't had a good bath like this in a while," Vermillion sighed in content, swimming lazily around the place.

Azaroth got up, patting off the dirt from his pants. " I'm leaving for a while at any rate, before Vermillion decides to beat me up for looking at her indecently even though it was her that stripped in front of me. I'll take a walk around the place first, least she changes her mind now," Azaroth replied, walking off.

" I'll come with you," Serene exclaimed, getting up and walking next to Azaroth.

-

Serene watched with mild interest as Azaroth started to look around foraging the bushes, looking for things to eat. He had begun plucking berries from the nearby bushes. He then started digging the ground with the blade Krayken gave him, uprooting roots of several plants, which he also collected in his hands.

" What are you doing?" Serene asked.

" Collecting some food. I live from foraging stuff from forest ground, you know. I assure you all these things are edible," Azaroth replied, grinning.

" I'm confident in that. What I'm skeptical about is whether they will taste good," Serene retorted.

" I can also vouch for that…unless you are cooking," Azaroth answered.

" What was that supposed to mean?" Serene asked, narrowing her eyes.

" The mildirk root will taste very well if we peel off the skin and roast it over the fire. It goes well with a supply of fish. I wonder if we should ask Vermillion and see whether she can catch us a few slithery critters," Azaroth replied.

" Why are you avoiding the question?" Serene sighed.

" Was I?" Azaroth asked, before bursting out with laughter. Serene sighed, pouting her lips.

" Anyway, thank you for saving me from the prison, and despite the circumstances, I'm glad I had some people like you guys to rely on," Azaroth said suddenly, not looking directly at Serene as he continued to dig for more roots for them to eat.

Serene blushed slightly. " What's this? That's what friends are for, right? And also, you already thanked us just now, so if you are going to be asking for a favour, I'm not giving you one," Serene replied quietly.

" That's not quite it, Serene. I want to thank all of you personally, that's all, and since we are here together, I decided that I could start with you," Azaroth said, getting up as he placed another root in his hands.

He was totally taken aback when Serene suddenly approached him subtly, suddenly wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tight in an embrace. Azaroth stood on the spot, rather spell struck by whatever Serene was doing. She pressed herself close to him, embracing him fully. Azaroth felt rather awkward, he was standing with his arms were full of berries and roots and Serene hugging him from behind, making him stay on the spot.

" I'm glad as well," Serene said, sobbing slightly.

Azaroth sighed quietly, then smiled at her, although she was unable to see him smile as she had buried her face on his back. Azaroth decided to stand there quietly, not wanting to spoil the mood.

-

Vermillion gasped for breath as she suddenly broke through the surface of the water again, this time with another fish in her hands. She tossed them towards the bank, letting it flip around helplessly on the ground as it tried to breathe. Sighing, she got up, tried to get off as much water off her before putting on her clothes back.

" Well, I must say, you've got a pretty good catch there, considering the fact that you only used your bare hands," Tryzen replied, stepping out from the forest and dropping a whole bunch of logs and pieces of wood he could find on the ground where they all were gathered.

" Took you long enough," Vermillion scowled.

" What's with that face of yours?" Tryzen asked. " You are the only one who had a nice, cool soak in the river. Stop complaining."

" Shut up and start the fire already!" Vermillion exclaimed.

" Yes, your majesty," Tryzen said, rolling his eyes as he kicked the pieces of wood together. Muttering an incantation for a second, he then snapped his fingers and the pile of wood lit up, creating a nice fire.

" Stroke the fire and start cooking the fish. I'll get more pieces of wood to fuel the fire," Tryzen said, going back to the forest.

" Darn!" Vermillion mused, picking one one of the few long branches Tryzen didn't set fire to, and washed it at the river. Grabbing the fish, she then smacked a rock on its head to kill it before ripping its gills out, washing the blood off at the river. The then pierced the fish with the wooden stick, and propped it on the ground by the fire, ready to cook it.

" Krayken, you jackass, come here and help me! You have been placing your rear end on the ground ever since we came here! Come here this instance or so help me!" Vermillion swore, seeing Krayken sitting down quietly on a patch of grass quietly, not moving a muscle since they arrived. He sat down, crossing his legs and folding his arms, his eyes narrowed down to slits. He didn't move even after Vermillion called out to him.

" Are you even listening to me?!" Vermillion yelled.

" Shut up!" Krayken suddenly said, suddenly placing his ears on the ground, as if trying to hear something better. Vermillion was taken aback from his actions, wondering what was up. She suddenly equipped her knuckle weapons almost instantaneously, expecting an attack. It took several seconds, but Krayken then stood up, and looked at a specific direction in the forest.

" I know you are out there. What do you want with us?" Krayken demanded to an ambiguous person who wasn't there.

" As expected of an assassin of Kain," a voice called out. Krayken didn't reply. Vermillion swung her head in all directions, wondering where the voice had come from.

" I totally dislike talking with someone who won't show their face. Show us your face if you wish to say something," Krayken demanded.

The voice laughed, and from the sound, it was definitely female. " Really now, such a comment to come from an assassin himself. But anyway, I think I'll amuse you a bit," the voice replied, and all of a sudden, they heard footsteps. A figure then appeared from out of the bushes, and Vermillion looked curiously at her.

The first thing that could be said about this person was that she was pretty scary. She wore leather boots, along with a leather vest that covered everything except her hands. She wore a very large pointy hat with a rim that was three times the diameter of her head. She didn't hold any visible weapons, possibly because Vermillion felt that she was a spellcaster of some sort. The colour of her entire attire was jet black.

Honestly, Vermillion had to agree that this girl looked rather pretty. She was young, possibly just 19 plus. She had a haunting maroon coloured eyes and long, crimson red hair. She smiled at them, before licking her lips all of a sudden, as if she was somehow savouring a meal in her mind. Vermillion snickered, seeing the girl. _Wow, another nut who is about as crazy as I am...I like her,_ Vermillion thought.

" What do you want, woman?" Krayken asked.

" Oh, please, don't make me feel older than I already am. I'm 15 by the way, and if you wish to address me as a kid, feel free," the girl smiled.

" You look pretty old for a 15 year old," Vermillion replied, raising her eyebrows. Her height and features would put her at 17, the least. She didn't look like a kid.

" Yes, people say that a lot," she sighed.

" What do you want, necromancer?" Krayken demanded.

" What?!" Vermillion exclaimed loudly.

The girl chuckled, then started to giggle. " You always never fail to surprise people, but then again I assume that's just part of your job...well, I must say, you must be from the Holy Order, but I'm not looking for war today, so I hope we can put our differences aside for the moment and talk a bit here," the girl said.

The katars on Krayken's hands slid out all of a sudden.

" Whoa, slow down assassin," the girl said, raising her hands up, laughing. " Perhaps I should be more specific: I'm here to help Azaroth Crimson. Is that such a bad thing?" Krayken remained impassive, watching her with his eyes. Vermillion decided to speak.

" What the heck do you think you are talking about?! Why help him?! What for?! Are you crazy?! Who are you anyway?! Answer me damn it!" Vermillion exclaimed.

" I'm talking about Azaroth Crimson, obviously, and of course this is related to the cardinals as well, and that they plan to kill him. He is not safe here, and I'm pretty sure you all know that the cardinals are not humans as of now. You might be killed immediately if they come here, and mark my words they will," the necromancer said.

" Why am I helping him? Well, I'll be honest with you. Azaroth staying alive would help me a lot, and I intend to see it that way. You won't loose anything if you accept my help. I'm not here to hinder you all, but to honestly help you. I do have an ulterior motive, which I don't feel honest enough to share with you all."

Vermillion and Kryaken stared at her, unable to come up with a reason why she was being rather honest with them.

" I am apparently crazy, possibly about as crazy as you are, Vermillion, but really, I'll give due credit to you. My name is immaterial, although you can address me as Ty if you wish. I believe I answered all your questions to the best of my ability. Anything else?" Ty asked.

Vermillion blinked for a while, before starting to raise her voice suddenly. " How the heck can you be so honest about yourself?!" she exclaimed.

" Look, we don't have time now. Whoever that is after you is after you right this instant. You either follow me, or you can decline. I won't mind, but I'd prefer to get Azaroth to safety. I'm sure he mentioned someone helped him when he escaped from from prison for the first time. That person was me," Ty replied.

" You?!" Vermillion exclaimed.

" Yes, he did mention that before, but we have no way of telling whether it is your or not," Krayken replied.

" Let me see him. He should be able to recognise me, unless I give him too much credit in remembering people," Ty said, grinning.

-

Tryzen wondered what was up as he heard Vermillion's voice from some distance away, shouting away like always. Since it was the norm for her to shout anyway, Tryzen didn't figure there was any trouble at all, possibly just screaming at Krayken for not doing anything like always, so he continued on his search to find more wood to fuel the fire.

He was done pretty quick, and soon enough, he hurried out of the forest, lugging all the pieces of wood he could carry with his hands. So, it was to his utter surprise to see their 'makeshift' campsite empty, Vermillion along with Krayken missing. The fire was still burning though, and it looks like Vermillion had at least attempted to cook one fish.

" My God, where did those two go to?" Tryzen mused.

All of a sudden however, he felt a movement behind his back. Spinning around, his eyes suddenly widened as he saw what stood behind him.

" Shit!"

-

" Am I just being too forward?" Serene asked timidly.

" Well, that depends on your definition of 'forward'," Azaroth chuckled. " Well, it's not like I didn't notice if before, but yes, you probably are a bit forward for an elf. Did you ever consider your position? What would your mother think about it?"

" My mother has Semilia to consider. There is no point in worrying about me. I could care less about my status. It has makes little difference to me if I throw it away. In fact, I honestly feel that it was merely a shackle that I just really wanted to throw away," Serene said.

" You can't be serious," Azaroth said, although he then realised it was a silly thing to say. " My bad, you are serious."

Both of them heard footsteps approaching, most likely their companions coming to look for them. Serene immediately broke off from Azaroth, not wanting the rest of them to see them in such an intimate fashion. As soon as she broke off, Vermillion and Krayken broke into view, stumbling into the forest.

" There you two are! Azy, we've got a visitor. Know this woman?!" Vermillion asked, pointing to a figure right behind them. Azaroth and Serene adjusted their position to get a better look at whoever it was that stood right behind Vermillion and Krayken. Serene never saw the woman before, but Azaroth almost recognised her immediately.

" Hey, you! From last time!" Azaroth exclaimed, recognising the woman, even though she had concealed most of her features the last time he met her in prison, the shape of her lips were recognisable. He dropped whatever he had in his hand and pointed a finger to her.

No sooner than he had done that, a loud explosion rang through the forest, and spinning around, they could see smoke being emitted from somewhere near the river.

" Darn it, they are here sooner than I expected," Ty sighed.


	27. Chapter 26: Holding the Line

**Chapter 26: Holding the Line**

Tryzen wasn't sure what was happening right at that moment. All he knew was that there was a large Minorous standing right before him, and he knew very well that Minorouses don't walk around in the middle of the forests near Payon and attack lone wizards. Perhaps they do, but he was quite sure one shouldn't be attacking him right now.

Tryzen leaped back as the Mirorous took another swing at him, its large hammer missing his face by inches. Tryzen could feel the great rush of wind as the weapon flew by him, and stepping backwards a tad bit too fast, he lost his balance. He fell backwards into the river, and he felt himself get soaked in the cold water.

The Mirorous roared and raised it's weapon once more, preparing for the next attack. Tryzen dove underwater and swam away as soon as the monster brought its large weapon crashing down on the ground, splashing water all over the place. Tryzen was thrown several feet around in the water as the hammer caused a large wave in the water, spinning him around. His head hit something hard, and soon the water around him started to colour itself red.

Tryzen groaned as he picked himself up from the river, his forehead bleeding pretty badly. The blood was now masking his face. He attempted to wipe it off, but all he managed to do was just to smear more blood on his face. The Minorous roared loudly, and from the sound of splashing water Tryzen knew that the monster had entered the water.

Tryzen immediately backed off, not wanting the monster to come any closer to him. He reached the opposite side of the bank and climbed up. With one last effort, he rubbed his arm over his face. He saw the blurry picture of the Minorous waddling in the water towards him.

" I've got you where I want now," he said, clasping his hands together. He started to draw invisible signs in the air, and mutter his incantations quickly. All of a sudden, the temperature around them started to lower dramatically, and strong winds that chill started to form. A loud crackling sound was heard as the water in the river started to freeze over. The Minorous looked around curiously, seeing that his feet was getting stuck in a layer of ice. However, the ice sheet would not last long. The rushing water of the river would melt it away, and the Minorous was already trying to free himself.

" If an explosion doesn't work, let's try lighting you up then," Tryzen mused, completing another spell. All of a sudden, there was a collection of electrical surges in the air. The Minorous looked up, only to see multiple thunderbolts fly down towards his stationary body.

-

" What in the bloody blazes is that!?" Vermillion yelled, spinning around to see all the thunderbolts fly down from the sky.

" Tryzen's in trouble," Azaroth exclaimed, immediately heading towards whre the flashes of light were coming from. However, all of a sudden, the mysterious young lady suddenly held out her hand to block his path. Azaroth tried to barge through anyway, but it was as if he hit a invisible wall that stood right in front of him. He was suddenly thrown backwards.

" What the heck was the big idea?!" Azaroth exclaimed loudly.

" Are you a fool or what?! You do know that the Cardinals are after your head, and they are obviously here already! Are you planning on getting yourself killed?" Ty asked.

" I don't give a damn who the hell you are and whether you think you can boss me around like that, but like I'm leaving Tryzen by himself! He's in trouble, now, buzz off!" Azaroth said, getting up and attempting to barge through her once more.

This time though, Ty suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the neck. She didn't tighten her grip around his neck, but he felt some force start to wrap around his neck all of a sudden choking him. She lifted him off the ground with ease. Azaroth started to choke as he was unable to breathe, the invisible force around his neck felt like it was about to crush his neck.

" If you want to die so badly, why don't I just kill you now?" Ty suggested dangerously.

" Let him go, you piece of crap!" Vermillion exclaimed, clenching her fists.

" Why don't I make another deal with you, Azaroth? After all, we have made a deal once, and it was mainly in your favour. I'll warp you out to somewhere safe, and I promise to get your best friend there as well if you promise to follow me," Ty suggested. Azaroth merely gagged. She released her grip she had on him, dropping him on the ground.

" Azaroth!" Serene exclaimed, running up to him. Azaroth coughed over and over, trying to breathe in air again.

" Do we have a deal?" Ty asked.

" Fine! Fine, we do it your way!" Azaroth exclaimed angrily.

Ty smiled, then muttered a few incantations. She then snapped her fingers when she was done with the incantations. A purple spark appread out of nowhere in the middle of them, and it started to grow more and more frequent, concentrating on a singular spot. However, seconds after this started, the sparks suddenly fizzled and died off. A large circular sign appeared beneath where the sparks appeared for a while, glowing white, before disappearing. All of them looked curiously at Ty, who looked about as surprised as they were.

" Unfortunately, Tyranus Wishblade, we cannot allow him to escape that easily," a voice suddenly said. All of them spun around to see who had spoken to them. A High Priest stood several meters away, smiling calmly at them.

" Why, if it isn't that bastard Jacton Smielia. I would have known. You placed a warp barrier over the place," Tyranus replied.

" Warp barrier? What in the world is that?" Vermillion exclaimed.

" A barrier that seals all forms of teleportation out of a certain specific area. Usually only found in areas where there is a heavy concentration of demons and evil powers. This is to avoid people from warping into their realm," Krayken answered calmly.

" Wait, it's demon magic?!" Azaroth demanded.

" I guess I said too much…get them!" Jacton exclaimed. All of a sudden, a whole bunch of Orcs suddenly burst out of the forest, swarming in on them, their large axes and hammers raised and ready.

" You have got to be fucking kidding me! Where in the world did this guy get a supply of orcs!?" Vermillion yelled.

Krayken leaped forward, whizzing under the swing of an axe. As he rolled on the floor, he flung a knife upwards, hitting the Orc accurately in the eye. The huge beast yelled loudly, backing off towards one of his comrades, dropping both of them down. Another brought down his hammer, missing Krayken by inches due to his quick reflexes as an assassin. He ran up along the arm of the orc, which shill had its hand on his hammer on the ground, and swiped his katar gracefully across his neck. Black blood spurted out from a severed artery, spraying the ground with copious amounts of liquid.

Another came behind him, but Vermillion had leaped into the fray, raising her knuckle weapon to meet the large, chipped axe. She felt the massive impact of the weapon drop onto her, and she winced as she felt the force of the axe slam down hard on her, sinking a few centimeters into the soil. Another tried to crush her while she was in a prone position, but Serene managed to pepper its face just in time to draw enough attention away from it for Vermillion to drop the heavy weapon above her aside and jump away from danger.

Azaroth drew his small weapon and wanted to run into the fight, but he was stopped by Tyranus. " What do you want now?" he demanded.

" Look, what's the point in joining them? It's you they are after. We should leave," Tyranus replied.

" I can't just leave them here!" Azaroth exclaimed.

" Oh yes, I think you can," Tyranus replied coldly. " Besides, what are you going to do with that small blade of yours, scratch the feet of these Orcs? You are unlike Krayken, so please don't act like a hero."

A Orc suddenly appeared right next to her. Tyranus merely spun around and weaved through his feet, appearing right behind it. Placing her hand on the giant, it's body suddenly started to glow green. It started to moan, as if it were feeling sleepy. It fell down in a heap, shaking the ground as it crashed.

" Listen here you fool. You of all people must get out of here!" Tyranus argued.

" How?! If you can't warp out of here, then what's the point?!" Azaroth yelled.

" Moron, it is not as if they can set up the barrier to match the width of a country. The barrier ends somewhere ahead, and that will be just a couple of hundred meters away. When we reach the edge, we can then warp out of this place," Tyranus answered.

" I can't leave!" Azaroth exclaimed.

Vermillion suddenly leaped backwards, grabbing him roughly by the shoulder and yanked him back, sending him flying backwards several meters. " Oh yes I think you can. Serene, get this idiot out of here!" Vermillion yelled, jumping around to dodge all the attacks from the Orcs. " Come on now! We can't leave if you don't!"

Azaroth merely stood up, looking at Vermillion.

" Look, we got ourselves in this bloody mess because of you alright! Have you considered what I would feel if you got caught again?!" Vermillion exclaimed, slamming her fists hard on the nearest Orc. " You never do that, because it's always about you thinking about other people. God damn it, consider yourself for once!"

" Don't let him get away again!" Jacton exclaimed.

" I'd like to see you try..." Tyranus snarled, clasping her hands together and muttering a few inaudible words. Th wind around them started to pick up all of a sudden, a chilling aura surrounding the place. All of a sudden, a thick cloud of purple gas started to seep out of the surrounding area all around them. The smog suddenly seeped into the fallen Orcs which Vermillion and Krayken had managed to kill off within the timespan given. The fallen bodies then started to rise all of a sudden, brought back as the undead.

" Um, I'm not comfortable with undead Orcs for reinforcements, but I guess I'm not one to complain," Vermillion replied.

" Come on, Vermillion's right. If you get caught here, then there was no point in getting you out anyway," Serene said, yanking her hand.

" You can't be serious!" Azaroth exclaimed.

" Look, moron! I have no intention to become a hero here! Get out of here immediately so that I can ignore about holding these brutes back!" Vermillion exclaimed. She still saw Azaroth rooted to the spot. " Were you even listening to me?!"

Serene immediately grabbed Azaroth's hand and yanked him away, pulling him away from the battle. Tyranus merely looked back at them, then ran along with Azaroth and Serene. Vermillion turned back to the Orcs once she knew that Azaroth was out of the way.

" Why fight when it is futile?" Jacton asked.

" Ever heard of the phrase 'going out in a blaze of glory'?" Vermillion asked, grinning.

" Perhaps, is that what you wish for?" Jacton asked.

-

Tryzen looked at the dead Minorous with mild interest. He had blasted so many lightning bolts into its body that it was now burnt beyond recognition. The water that Tryzen had frozen with his spell was now sufficiently melted to break apart, releasing its grip in the monster. The charred body floated down the river, the black body bobbing along the waves.

Tryzen sat down and tried to fix the wound on his head, performing some simple first aid. It looks like it they had found them faster than he had expected them to, not to mention that they had the ability to summon a Minorous, since he was pretty sure the Minorous didn't come here to take a lovely stroll.

" Did something happen to them? My spells should have gotten their attention by now..." Tryzen mused to himself. Getting up, he proceeded to waddle across the river to get to the opposite side again.

-

" Why are you helping us?" Azaroth asked.

" Do I need a reason for that?" Tyranus asked, smiling.

" This is twice you have helped me now. I would like a reason behind your actions," Azaroth demanded, leaping over large roots as the three of them made their way through the forest in order to get out of the area.

" Twice?" Serene asked.

" We met before inside the dungeon where I was held. She was the one who helped me escape the first time, although I'm not sure what your motive is. Tyranus, was it? Care to share with the rest of the class?" Azaroth asked.

Tyranus grinned maniacally, giggling like some little girl who had seen something funny. " Oh, so you have to be so suspicious, eh? Well, I don't blame you, really. But, I'm not willing to share such information with you. Perhaps some other time...if you live long enough, you'll probably see what I am trying to accomplish here," she replied vaguely, giggling.

" Care to tell me why they are after my head?" Azaroth demanded.

" Because you are the last link," Tyranus replied.

" Last link of what?!" Azaroth demanded.

" Honestly, they planned to frame you because they were trying to hide the crime that was committed. After all, they are demons from the Neatherealm, as you all have figured out by now. They just needed someone to place the blame on so that people and parties will keep their attention off them. But also, it's because of you lineage, from your father from the Kyrodin guild. You are the last of the decendents of the Kyrodin guild, and for that, someone wishes to keep you alive," Tyranus replied.

" Who?!" Serene exclaimed.

" That will be telling too much..." Tyranus replied cheekily.

Azaroth frowned, not too sure what to make of this information. The last link? A living son of a member of a now dead guild? Azaroth wasn't too sure what to make of it. However, something suddenly came into his mind, and he halted all of a sudden. Serene and Tyranus skidded to a halt, wondering what was wrong.

" This is just merely a wild guess, but are you the one who killed that cardinal?" Azaroth asked.

" Oh...pretty far fetched guess, I would say. What made you think so?" Tyranus asked. Azaroth knew from her voice that it was true.

" If you killed him, why don't they catch you?" Azaroth asked.

As a reply, Tyranus suddenly bit her left thumb hard, sinking her teeth so hard blood started to flow out of her thumb. There was a sickening crunch, and to Azaroth's and Serene's horror, Tyranus bit her thumb off, leaving a bleeding stump on her left hand. She then proceeded to chew on her digit in her mouth, her teeth crushing down on her thumb, the disgusting sound of bone grinding against teeth echoing in the air, acting as if she had just bitten a carrot.

Tyranus raised her hand, and slowly, something white grew out from the stump. Upon closer inspection, it was a small protruding bone. Azaroth figured he must be seeing dark magic at work as the bone started to lengthen, and when it was long enough, muscles and blood vessels started to form all around the bone. Skin seem to magically appear over the layer of muscle, and soon enough, her thumb was back.

" Because I'm immortal...well, quasi-immortal at any rate, as of now..." Tyranus replied, wiping some of the blood that had seeped out of the corner of her mouth.

" God, that was sick..." Serene replied, grabbing her mouth, trying to stop herself from barfing on the spot.

" Well, that's one of the reasons. Another is that it would be disadvantageous to them if they caught me now," Tyranus answered, swallowing. Serene couldn't help it anymore, and turning away, she she vomited by the side, her hand against a tree to give her support.

" If you are immortal, then why don't you kill them all? After all, you killed the previous cardinal. What's stopping you? Wouldn't it be easier to kill them off than carry me around?!" Azaroth asked.

" Hey, I said, quasi-immortal...I have limits, you know, not to mention that the Holy Order will be right after me when I killed those old men. But yes, I do plan on killing them soon. My initial kill of the first cardinal was just merely a set-up in which I had hoped would spiral up to the downfall of the three of them. I didn't expect them to use you to solve their problems. But really, they are using a double-edged sword here," Tyranus replied.

Azaroth assumed the three she mentioned were the ones who were 'witnesses' to his crime. However, he wasn't sure what she meant by them using a 'double-edged sword'. However, his attention was diverted when he heard a snap somewhere.

" Serene, look out!" Azaroth exclaimed, spinning around.

Serene, who was just recovering from barfing, looked up, only to see the metal armour of a Raydric standing right next to her, its floating arm raised to strike. Something flew by her face, nicking her shoulder slightly before hitting the sword the Raydric held sharply with a clang, knocking it back. It bought her enough time to jump back and fire one shot at the metal helmet. The arrow struck the helmet hard, hitting it off the neck, or relatively where the neck was supposed to be on a Raydric. It fell on the ground with a resounding crash, it's head, or 'helmet', rolling about in a silly fashion around the body.

" My, don't you just love irritating bugs?" Tyranus replied.

Several appeared on the left, armed with arrows. They fired their shots which were directed at Azaroth. Serene whipped out her arrows from her quiver and let them fly in a small storm. Azaroth raised his arms reflexively when he saw the wall of arrows coming to shield himself, but he found that it was unnecessary, since all of them were hit or deflected by Serene's shots. Most of them mainly fell at Azaroth's feet.

" Why are there so many of these things all around here?!" Azaroth exclaimed.

More started to emerge from the edges of the forest from where they stood, coming around to surround them. Tyranus clasped her hands and prepared another spell. Clasping her hands together, she exclaimed " Begone, accursed pieces of metal, I don't require your presence right now!" A small black wave was emitted, originating from her body. As soon as the on-coming Raydics were hit by the wave, they disintegrated into pieces, the pieces of armour falling all over the place.

" I don't require your presence right now?" Azaroth mused.

" Well, it's not like I never called upon a Raydric before," Tyranus said, shrugging.

However, the spell wasn't enough to push back the Raydrics that were surrounding them like a swarm. Serene was firing her arrows as quickly as she could, hitting as many as she could. Azaroth stood around both ladies as he was unable to do anything without a weapon, his last one lost after throwing it to save Serene. He couldn't exactly punch a suit of armour, since he wasn't Vermillion.

" Looks like we are in a bit of a serious mess here..." Tyranus laughed, wiping out another wall of Raydrics with her spell.

" How can you laugh at a situation like this?!" Serene cried out loud.

" We are all going to die anyway. I may as well get the most of it," Tyranus laughed.

" No wonder the Holy Order has been prosecuting you necromancers. I think that's because they don't like your sense of humour," Azaroth muttered.

" I agree on that, because when I joke with members of the Holy Order, it's usually with a knife sticking out from their gut," Tyranus replied. Azaroth hoped that for her sake, she was joking.

All of a sudden, the Raydric suddenly seem to slow down. Azaroth immediately spotted the reason why. Their feet were slowly sinking to the ground, as if it had become something of a marsh. The Raydric tried to move in, but were quite stuck on the ground, moving at a very harmless speed.

Large pillars of ice suddenly shot out from one direction, coming out in two lines to form what looked like a pathway, the ice walls stopping right before them. Azaroth looked in the directionof where the ice walls formed, only to see Tryzen standin some distance away.

" Come now, we haven't got all day," he said, waving his hand.

The three of them ran through the ice wall pathway. The Raydrics, seeing that they were escaping, tried to go after them, but they were still bogged down by the Quagmire spell. Even so, the ice walls formed a nice barrier in-between them and the Raydrics, and so even if the Raydrics were close enough to approach them, all they could do was bang on the ice wall as they ran past their ranks.

" Tryzen, that was a close one!" Azaroth exclaimed, greeting his friend when they were away from the Raydrics.

" I'll be collecting my debt sometime in the future," Tryzen said.

" Well, at least both of you have a sense of humour in the midst of danger. That's so great..." Tyranus replied.

" Who is she?" Tryzen asked.

" A necromancer," Serene answered.

" That was pretty obvious," Tryzen replied. " Where is Vermillion and Krayken, by the way?"

" Yo, we are here!" Vermillion's voice called out. All of them look around to see Vermillion and Krayken running towards them.

Serene wanted to run up to Vermillion to greet her, but suddenly Azaroth held out his hand and held her back. " Tryzen, blast them now!" he yelled all of a sudden. It took less than a second for Tryzen to raise his hands and fire two bolts of lightning from his fingers, hitting Vermillion and Krayken, throwing them back.


	28. Chapter 27: End of the Road

**Chapter 27: End of the Road**

" Azaroth!" Serene exclaimed, seeing what Azaroth had ordered Tryzen to do.

" Stop it, Serene! They aren't Vermillion and Krayken!" Azaroth said.

As soon as he said that, the bodies of Vermillion and Krayken started to rise up, although they now stood in a funny position. Their arms hung limply by their side, and their heads were cocked at a funny angle. Furthermore, the skin on their face seemed to be peeling off, cracking up and falling off like withered pieces of paper, revealing a dark, purplish grey coat of skin beneath them.

" Looks like they have people capable of becoming impostors in their group," Tryzen sighed.

" How'd you know?..." The person who was supposedly Vermillion asked.

" It's Vermillion's nature to fight. She should not be done with those Orcs unless she was losing. You suck as an impostor," Azaroth replied.

Both of them suddenly squealed out loudly, leaping up in the air and flying towards them, ripping out their skins that made them look like Vermillion and Krayken. The two Injustices flew at them, with all the intent of killing them off.

Tryzen winced as he felt the Injustice claw at his face, the decayed hand scratching his face slightly, leaving a small gash. Azaroth went up to try and punch it in the face, but it was quick enough to move aside, Azaroth's fist missing his face by inches. He then tried kicking him, but found out that was a bad idea since the Injustice merely caught his leg and then threw him back within a second.

The other leaped at Serene, who fired a couple of arrows at him. The arrows hit the Injustice on its collarbones, but it didn't seem to deter it the least. Serene was quick enough to drop to the floor, and when it swung its arm across where her head was supposed to be a few seconds ago, she whipped out a small knife and slashed it at it's side before leaping away, watching the black blood seep out all over the place.

" Damn insects, let's roast them!" Tryzen yelled back, snapping his fingers as flames started to form around his hands as he faced one of the Injustices.

" I couldn't agree more, 'Blitz'," Tyranus replied sarcastically.

Tryzen immediately cast a firebolt spell, sending down balls of fire to smash into the Injustice. It wasn't quick enough to avoid Tryzen's spellcasting, so it was pummeled over and over again by balls of fire. Tryzen, however, wasn't finished by a mile. He continued snapping his fingers, muttering incantations as he kept firing his spells. The Injustice groaned loudly as it could take no more attacks, dropping slowly to the ground in a fiery heap.

Tyranus slowly walked up to the remaining Injustice, and very swiftly, traced a line on its back with her finger. All of a sudden, the undead creature gave a shrill yell of pain and combusted into a great ball of green flame. Its body evaporated immediately, as if the flame was burning away a piece of paper. To Azaroth's surprise, the green flame, instead of extinguishing along with the disappearance of the body, continued to burn, hovering several meters off the ground. Tyranus sucked in a deep breath, and the flame entered her mouth. She then sighed contentedly, small billows of smoke exiting her mouth.

" How the hell did you know…" Tryzen started suddenly.

" Oh please, you'd be surprise at who knows you, 'Blitz'," Tyranus interrupted.

" I don't trust this woman," Tryzen said, frowning.

" Kid, I'm a kid, how many times do I have to repeat this?" Tyranus sighed, sounding slightly irritated.

" And apparently a little nuts as well," Tryzen replied.

There was the sound of a twang of string somewhere, and Azaroth saw an arrow flying across his face, missing the edge of his nose. The Raydrics started to charge towards them, after being distracted by the Injustices for a while.

" How about we get to know each other better when we are out of this little mess, eh handsome?" Tyranus suggested coyly, turning around to run away.

-

Vermillion groaned as she felt herself hit a tree. Feeling a painful throb in her ribs, she had no time to rest to recover her wounds. The next second later, she had sent herself up the tree as an Orc came up to her, swinging its heavy axe dangerously around, sinking the blade deep into the bark of the tree. She looked down at the monster, glaring at it while she clung to the upper parts of the trunk.

" Gee, totally not a gentleman," Vermillion laughed shrilly.

Another came up to the tree, and with a powerful blow of its war hammer, smashed the base of the tree trunk to splinters with a blow which was about as powerful as a cannon. Vermillion felt the tree starting to fall, and she leaped off it, tumbling on the ground all the way.

" That's more I like it, fat boys!" Vermillion laughed with a carefree manner, totally enjoying the fight.

" Don't you already have enough of this mindless violence already?" Krayken asked, weaving through the mess as several weapons were swung in his direction.

" What nonsense, I'm just warming up!" Vermillion laughed.

" Warming up to a fight requires breaking a rib…indeed," Krayken mused.

Now with all the undead Orcs Tyranus had summoned, it was easier for them to hold the Orcs back. The undead Orcs were sluggish, however they were very resilient, still being able to fight after having two arms chopped off. There was a loud ringing sound in the air as the large Orc weapons smashed into one another, the steel blades and hammers reverberating in the air.

Vermillion edged closer to one of the Orcs, who was swinging its weapon dangerously around her head. It took one step back, bringing both its arms backwards before slashing its axe horizontally. Vermillion was rather surprise at the speed at which it came towards her, and she was barely ducked in time to avoid being decapitated, feeling the blade of the axe pass through her hair, cutting a few strands off.

Immediately after ducking, she executed a roll towards the Orc, leaping up high to reach its face. She could see the reflection of her distorted, maniacal face upon the large, glassy eye of the Orc that she was about to kill.

The Orc howled in pain as Vermillion thrust her fist at its face, her knuckle weapon hitting its right eye and sinking the sharp spikes along its edges and ends deep into its skull. Pulling her hand violently back, she ripped out as much meat as she could, leaving a gaping hole in its head where its eye was supposed to be. Vermillion leaped back as it groaned loudly in pain, clutching its eye as thick, greenish Orcish blood started to wash all over her like rain.

Vermillion could care less about where the hell did Jacton summon Orcs or how in the world were they even cooperating with him. She was enjoying the fight too much to even think about the consequences.

A hammer slammed into her side, throwing her off balance. This time she felt her ribs crack from the strain as he rolled painfully on the ground, stopping when she hit into the base of the trunk of a tree. Another Orc rushed up to her, seeing that she had fallen, but a knife flew out of nowhere and hit it in its arm, diverting its attention temporarily.

" Get up now!" Krayken said.

" Bah!" Vermillion replied, jumping up, ignoring the throbbing pain in her ribs for the moment and aiming for the leg of the creature. She slammed her fist with such force, infused with her Holy powers, against the Orcs kneecaps multiple times until it broke. It groaned, dropping to the floor, before another zombie Orcs came up to decapitate it.

" Yeow…" Vermillion groan, feeling the strain in her body starting to slow her down. She stumbled on her knees. She coughed out a little bit of blood before looking up, only to see an Orcs standing right in front of her, its axe raised high.

As the Orc brought the axe down, there was a blur of movement in front of her, and before she knew it, she was tossed aside roughly. Krayken knocked her out of the way in time, but he was unable to fully avoid the blow of the axe in time. He stumbled back, holding the large gash on his chest where the axe had ripped his vest apart.

He was undeterred by the damage he had sustained. He leaped over the Orc's head, despite his injury, landing on the back of its shoulder. It a sickening sound, he sunk his katars into the base of its neck. The Orc's eyes bulged slightly as it felt the blades sink into its neck, not before Krayken ripping it of its joint with a deft flick of his hands. He jumped down from its back, rubbing the bloodstained face of his.

Both of them heard someone clapping his hands, and they turned to look at Jacton, who was standing before them, his face beaming like a father watching his son doing something to be proud of. Both of them looked at him warily, wondering what he was thinking now.

" Marvelous, to imagine that only the two of you could take down twenty Orcs…of course, with some undead help, but nonetheless, impressive, most impressive. It is sure a pity that you aren't on our side," Jacton replied. Vermillion made a crude, rude sign with her hand, holding it up for Jacton to see.

" My, my, such manners…people might think you were from Morroc," Jacton replied. He suddenly snapped his fingers all of a sudden, and there was a loud swooshing sound in the vicinity. Krayken and Vermillion were taken aback when they saw a large Griffin drop down from the sky, landing perfectly next to Jacton.

" I must sincerely apologise for this, but time is of the essence, so I will need to take my leave," Jacton replied, climbing up the Griffin. Krayken threw one of his throwing knifes at it, but the Griffin merely flapped its wings powerfully to blow the tiny knife away. It kicked off the ground, reaching up to the sky and soon enough, it headed towards the direction where Azaroth had left.

" Damn him! Come down here and face me!" Vermillion yelled out loud.

" V, just leave him…" Krayken sighed, dropping down next to a tree stump that had been smashed apart by an Orc, holding his wound painfully.

" Who the hell said you could call me V?!" Vermillion exclaimed.

" If I knew you had so much energy left, I'd probably ignore saving you earlier…" Krayken mused.

" Bah, perhaps you should," Vermillion said, kneeling down next to Krayken as she started to heal him.

-

" So, where exactly are we heading?" Tryzen asked.

" To the edge of the barrier they have set around this place which disallows me, or anyone else to warp in and out of the place. Once we are out there, we can them warp ourselves to safety," Tyranus replied, running along the forest, leading the way.

" And where exactly are you warping us to?" Azaroth asked.

" Glastheim," Tyranus replied.

" Why are you taking us to such a dangerous place?!" Serene exclaimed.

" I'd like to see them siege that place," Tyranus said, laughing. " Besides, you should already know, they have their methods to track you. If not, how in the world did they know you came here, in the middle of nowhere? The only safest place is not to warp to a desolate place, but to a place they cannot reach."

" Why that place, of all places?" Azaroth asked.

" Exactly the question! Why not?!" Tyranus replied, crackling with mirth. Azaroth and Tryzen looked at each other, wondering why she was being very vague.

" Who exactly are after me anyway?" Azaroth asked.

" The three cardinals, Jacton, and a couple of other small fry…" Tyranus replied.

" Specifics?" Azaroth asked.

Tyranus was about to reply when there was a rustling sound somewhere ahead of them, and two Raydrics appeared in front of them, their bows armed and ready. Tryzen fired two Frost Diver spells almost simultaneously, the line of ice traveling along the ground until it hit them, encasing them in ice. The pieces of cured armour strained as they tried to break free, but were unable to. However, several more of them started to converge upon where they were, and fast.

" Well, we'll need to give persistent people some credit, no?" Tyranus replied, finishing another spell, throwing another shockwave that made the Raydrics break apart when hit. Serene fired her arrows as fast as possible, but noticed she was down to her last quiver.

Azaroth watched as Tryzen stood silently, his eyes close as he started to form balls of fire all around him. Azaroth was forced to step backwards as he felt the intense heat sear his skin. The ground trembled slightly as Tryzen amassed a large amount of power within one spot. All of a sudden, he released it, and large walls of fire flew in all directions.

The walls of fire hit the Raydrics and trees alike, setting both aflame. The surrounding area started to burn, and to Azaroth's surprise, it seem to burn at an immensely quick rate, faster than normal fires. The fire was so intense the Raydrics broke apart from the heat, their remains starting to glow red from the amount of heat being put out.

" My God, you are amazing!" Azaroth mused, watching the Raydrics surrounding them started to break apart one by one.

" Look out!" Serene exclaimed.

The warning came a bit too late. Tryzen cried out in surprise as a whole hail of arrows started to drop down upon him from above, hitting him on his shoulders and his back. He dropped down to the ground, groaning in pain. As soon as he did that, Azaroth felt the fire within the vicinity started to loose its intensity. The surrounding forest was still burning, but the heat being emitted before wasn't as hot as before, since Tryzen had broken the spell to keep it burning like hellfire.

Looking up, they saw several Griffins in the air, all ridden by Raydrics armed with bows. Three of them, however, were ridden by people, and from the looks, he knew who they were.

" The cardinals…" Azaroth mused.

" Azaroth Crimson, twice so far you have escaped from us. But there will be no third time," the Cardinal Azaroth vaguely remembered was named Cardinal Maginus said out loud.

" Indeed, there will not be a third time, because he will not be going back!" Tyranus exclaimed, throwing a bolt of dark lightning towards one of the Cardinals. The bird he was ridding on moved away swiftly, but her bolt hit another straight in the chest. It went up in a ball of explosion, and when the smoke cleared, they saw the bird fall from the sky, charred black.

" Tyranus, it has been too long since you defied us. Perhaps we should end your time here," Cardinal Selaindria replied.

" I'm too young to die yet. However, you old farts have been walking on the face of the earth for too long now. Your time will come to an end soon!" Tyranus replied defiantly.

" Enough talk. Retrieve Azaroth, he is unarmed, but kill the rest of them!" Martrian exclaimed. The Raydrics immediately armed their bows, while a few of them swooped down low with their Griffins, ready to make a grab for Azaroth.

Serene retaliated, firing an arrow, which hit a Raydric squarely in the head, knocking it off its ride, but she was out-numbered in terms of numbers. Twenty arrows rained back at her as she raised her hands to protect her face. Two peppered themselves on her gut, while another hit Tryzen on the back as he lay vulnerable on the ground.

" Tryzen!" Azaroth exclaimed, seeing his best friend getting shot. Tryzen looked up at Azaroth weakly, then dropped his head as he fainted. Azaroth rushed towards his friend, only to feel himself being grabbed by a swooping Griffin by its claws, hooking on to his arms and lifting him up into the air.

Azaroth strained his hands to reach up to the bird's chest. He grabbed a fistful of feathers, and with some effort, yanked them out. The bird gave a loud squawk of surprise, releasing its grip on him. Azaroth felt himself crash into a tree, falling painfully downwards as the small branches slowed his fall, before stopping completely when he landed on a pretty large branch that was able to support his weight.

Tyranus fired bolt after bolt of crimson and dark energies at her opponents in the sky, keeping as many enemies as she could at bay. Serene managed to find the strength to drag Tryzen aside, under the cover of trees to avoid being shot by arrows again.

Serene groaned in pain as she felt the arrows protruding from her stomach. Her vest had absorbed most of the blows, forcing the arrows to pierce shallowly enough to avoid her vitals, but she was still pretty badly wounded at any rate. She held one of them and slowly tried to pull it out, only to find it almost firmly embedded in her stomach. _Damn it, barbed arrows…_she thought.

Having no choice, she braced herself as she gripped the arrows tightly, yanking it out with much more force. The barbed arrow tore some of her flesh out, but she had no choice if she wanted to take it out at any rate. She pulled out the other as well, which thankfully wasn't a barbed arrow, but a simple one, with its end without an arrow head, but the wooden frame of the arrow merely sharpened to make it sharp. By now, she was slightly dizzy from all the pain and blood loss.

She ripped her sleeve apart, tying her wound tightly before tending to Tryzen. He was still alive and breathing normally, just unconscious. However, as soon as she was about to tend to him, there was a screech somewhere and she looked up to see a Griffin hovering somewhere above her, the rider aiming its bow at her.

Something rustled in the branches of the trees, and a figure leaped out of the branches towards the Raydric. The piece of armour looked up to see Azaroth flying towards it, slamming into the Raydric and knocking both people off the Griffin. The bird was jolted, and it flapped its wings away, flying around aimlessly without a rider.

Azaroth quickly whipped out the small sword the Raydric archer had by its side, and with one swift motion, stabbed it into the chest plate of the Raydric. However, Azaroth yelled in pain and released the grip of the blade as soon as he sunk the metal blade into the chest plate, jumping off the Raydric. His hands seem to be burning in some way. Apparently, he was unable to hold a piece of cursed weapon.

He screamed in pain all of a sudden as he felt something hit him painfully on his back, as if electricity had hit him in some way. One of the Cardinals had fired a crimson bolt directly at Azaroth. Azaroth felt himself flung carelessly around, landing on the ground painfully before loosing his consciousness.

" Azaroth!" Serene exclaimed, staggering to her feet. However, all three Cardinals now dropped down low towards Azaroth, wanting to collect their prize. Tyranus, however, walked in between them, her arms raised and crackling with dark powers.

" Over my dead body…" Tyranus snarled, grinning in the process.

" Why do you risk your life over this worthless heap of garbage?" Cardinal Selaindria asked. " You should know that as a vessel for your master, he is a failure."

" But you should know, a half functional vessel is better than no vessel at all," Tyranus replied. " After all, you all took the trouble in getting him as well. So, he should be worth something."

" Indeed, you are right. But once he is done for, we will just need to look for the other vessels and dispose of them, and the resurrection of your Master will not come to pass," Cardinal Maginus replied.

Serene stood by the side, listening to the weird dialogue between them. She didn't know what they meant by Azaroth being a vessel or who this person Tyranus was trying to resurrect and the Cardinals were trying to prevent. However, all that didn't matter to her. All she cared for was Azaroth's safety. The details can come later.

Two of the cardinals fired crimson bolts at Tyranus, who blocked it nicely with some shielding spell of some sort. Before the other could cast a spell, Serene fired a couple of arrows at him, hitting Maginus in upper arm. Serene watched in surprise as the blood that came out was black, but Tryzen had told them earlier that the Cardinals were not human, but demons in disguise, which made sense why he bled differently.

Turning around, he bellowed " Foolish elf, you should have stayed in your forest home!" Serene wasn't quick enough to react from all the injuries she had sustained, and the black glowing ball of energy that flew out from his fingers hit her painfully in the chest. She screamed in pain, feeling the spell seemingly burn her chest painfully. She fell to the ground, twitching painfully as she clutched her chest where it seared her painfully.

Tyranus, being occupied, didn't see two Raydrics on Griffins swoop down behind her. When she realized that they were behind her, they managed to fly back up in the air, Azaroth's limp body in the Griffin's claws

Tyranus tried to strike them down, but all of a sudden, a whole rain of arrows were fired at her, hitting her in various places. She coughed out blood, looking at herself. About 5 arrows stuck out of her, and more followed as the rest of the Raydrics fired at a lone target. Soon enough, she looked like a pin-cushion of arrows, her blood falling all over the place.

" This will be your last stand, Tyranus!" All three cardinals exclaimed at once. The three of them fired separate crimson bolts at her. Tyranus merely looked up at them with mild interest, seeing the bolts heading towards her. Just as she was about to be struck, she merely grinned.

The ground around her blew up from the strike, blasting a crater on the ground, sending a large cloud of dust all over the place. With a wave of their hands, the cardinals headed back, leaving some of the Raydrics behind to clear up whatever was left of them.


	29. Chapter 28: The Last Laugh

**Chapter 28: The Last Laugh**

When Serene come to, she was quite aware that she was lying face down on something soft and feathery, which was actually pretty comfortable. Being on a bed would be a plausible answer, except beds don't fly in the air, from the look she saw of the ground as she was a hundred feet in the air. She jumped in total surprise, feeling herself slip from the 'bed' before a quick hand darted out of nowhere and grabbed her by the back of her collar, yanking her back in.

" Hold still, you useless elf. I just hitched a ride, so stop fidgeting or else you are going to fall several meters down, head first if you are lucky," Vermillion replied, pulling Serene back to a much more comfortable position.

" Vermy...wait...how...?" Serene asked, looking at Vermillion holding the reins to her bed, which was actually a large Griffin.

" Ah well, nothing a little bit of force can't solve. I must say, it was pretty easy to fly this thing. It has been nicely domesticated, aren't you Birdy?" Vermillion cooed. The large bird merely squawked.

" Birdy?" Serene mused.

" Well…I needed to call him something, right?" Vermillion asked, smiling.

" Wait, what the hell happened?" Serene asked.

" Krayken and I were long done with those dumb logs I'd like to call Orcs, but unfortunately the damned High Priest Jacton managed to run away. So, we came for you guys. We just made it there when we heard a large explosion somewhere, and dust was flying all over the place. When we came there, Azaroth had been taken away, that necromancer witch was missing and you and Tryzen were lying there unconscious," Vermillion answered.

" Wait, where is Krayken and Tryzen?!" Serene exclaimed.

" Whoa, hang on. We decided to not stay with each other, since it would be more difficult for them to chase both of us if we split up. I don't rightly know where Krayken headed, but Tryzen's with him, and I think he is fine. As for me, I managed to knock on idiotic Raydric off its ride, and this nice bird was willing enough to give us a ride. Isn't that right, Birdy?" Vermillion asked. The bird merely squawked again. However, Serene felt that Vermillion had somehow earlier threatened he bird, because her elven senses told her that the bird was feeling terrified.

" What now?" Serene asked.

" Well, it's obvious. We need to get Azaroth back!" Vermillion declared.

" Just the two of us?!" Serene exclaimed.

" There isn't any time left. I can bet that they are willing to execute him on the spot already. I think they just brought him back just to show everyone there that they have really killed him off. Nothing excites people like a bunch of vultures like someone dying…I know very well how it feels," Vermillion said. " Come now, we don't have much of a choice. It's now or never. Here, I managed to recover as much arrows as I could, which totals about a quiver full."

Serene looked down, seeing Vermillion pass her a quiver of arrows by detaching it from her belt. She took it gratefully and loaded it on her belt. Holding on Vermillion's waist tightly, they willed the Griffin to fly them faster towards the capital, which was surprisingly a speck in front of them.

Serene then winced in pain, feeling a sharp pang of pain inside her chest. She pressed the palm of her hand on her chest, wondering what was making her heart beat rather quickly. Perhaps it was that spell that one of the Cardinals shot at her. Whatever it was, it was still lingering in her body, and Vermillion probably wasn't the best of all healers.

" Something the matter?" Vermillion asked, sensing something amiss.

" No, it's just…why don't you just open a warp portal there?" Serene asked, changing the topic.

" I wish I could, but really, I've exhausted a lot of my energy trying to heal you, Tryzen and myself. Prontera is too far away for me warp there at the moment. We will have to head there manually until we are close enough for me to open a warp portal to get in immediately,' Vermillion said, whipping the reins on the Griffin. It squawked loudly, flapping its wings even harder to fly towards their destination.

-

First thing Tryzen heard was the words " Up already?" when he managed to regain his consciousness. As he regained most of his senses, he realized that he was riding piggyback upon Krayken's back, who was hoisting him along with some effort.

" I'm not heavy am I?" was the first words Tryzen could manage.

" You will be if you talk some more," Krayken said silently. Tryzen chuckled.

" What the hell happened?" Tryzen asked.

" I should be the one asking you that question. When Vermillion and I got here, both of you were out, the Cardinals had flown away with Azaroth, and Tyranus was missing from view, most likely caught up in that large explosion we saw and heard, although I can't confirm that. Either that, or she had gone after the Cardinals by herself," Krayken replied. Tryzen sighed, looking morosely around at the forest which they were still in.

" I see…" he replied sadly. They had gotten Azaroth again, and in such a situation, they were in no position to get him back. And he was quite certain that by the time they get back, Azaroth would be long dead. That he was quite sure off, and he had already accepted it as fact.

" Krayken, how long would it take to get back to Prontera?" Tryzen asked.

" Azaroth is lost, we can't get back in time," Krayken replied.

" That I rightly know. I'm not going back to Prontera to save Azaroth. I have other plans in mind," Tryzen replied. Krayken stopped walking and took a look at the wizard, who looked pretty resolute. Kryaken frowned, wondering what was Tryzen planning, but then he shrugged his shoulders and sighed softly.

" One full day, I suppose," Krayken said, turning around in the opposite direction he was walking just moments ago.

---

The moment Melanie step foot on the outskirts of Morroc, she immediately felt the sand whip at her face angrily. A sand storm was brewing, and right now, all she could see was a blur of the colour of dark yellow. She pulled up the hood of the cape she had brought along and covered her mouth with a thick cloth to avoid getting sand in her mouth.

" Remind me what we are doing here again…" Maycron sighed disheartened. He had obviously some other plan in mind today, and it was not to escort his commander here in the deserts of Morroc. He had managed to forget to bring something to cover his face, so he had to close his eyes and walk around, almost blind as his boots sunk into the soft, desert sand.

" You don't need to do anything. Just wait for me until I'm done with my search of the place," Melanie replied.

" Hey, what if some rogue attacks me while I stupidly wait here?" Maycron asked, sounding worried.

" Are these the words from a soldier of the Pronteran army and a member of the Holy Order?" Melanie replied, sounding a bit stern.

" Hey, not everyone is as skilled or good at you in scaring away assassins and thieves with your 'charming' smile," Maycron replied shrugging.

Melanie grinned at the remark. " I won't be too worried. We are too far off from the city, and I doubt assassins or rogues are really that persistent in wanting to hunt soldiers of Prontera that badly that they will be waiting inside all these sand dunes all around the place," Melanie answered.

" I'm serious. Why can't I come along and help you search?" Maycron asked.

" I'd like to prevent you from seeing some things, that's all," Melanie replied. Seeing Maycron looking a bit nervous, she turned around and said " Alright, look here. If anything happens, shoot up a flare. I should be able to see it, and hear it, in the mess here." Maycron looked down as Melanie passed him a small cylindrical object before walking away. He wanted to comment further, but he held his tongue.

Melanie continued to trudge on in the sand. Taking out a small map, she tried to match the coordinates of the place she was in. It was hard to make out where exactly the coordinates Selene gave her were, since she couldn't see very well. She was in the right area, except she had about an area of a hectare to look around.

" What is it that you want me to see?" Melanie mused, taking a look at the map again. However, a strong gust of wind blew the fragile piece of paper from her hands, and within a second, it had blended perfectly along with the colour of the desert. " Brilliant, Melanie, just brilliant," she scolded herself.

She contemplated going into the city, but it might be a tad bit dangerous, and she was quite sure the assassins and rogues who inhabit the city wouldn't be willing to welcome her with open arms, not to mention trying to get any help. But her attention was diverted to somewhere else, and it was towards a dull red flare that shot up a few feet behind her, sizzling slightly in the sound of the sand rushing all about.

She immediately rushed back to where she had left Maycron, only to see him facing the opposite direction of where she was, looking blankly beyond one of the sand dunes. She hurried up to him, wondering what was up. It didn't take long for her to spot it.

The area around where he stood was littered with pieces of armour and equipment still attached to their original owners, all half buried in the sand. Melanie could spot a crusader's shield, a monks robes and a rosary lying around, among other things. One thing was evident though: Selene wasn't lying to her.

As Maycon stared at the field of the dead, Melanie slowly walked up to one of them. Bending down, she started to stroke one of the half buried shields in the sand, noticing the figure of a phoenix adorned on the top of the piece of equipment.

" Good Lord, what in the world just happened here?" Maycron asked in shock.

" The remnants of the 13th Platoon of the 6th Squadron form our division," Melanie said.

" How'd you know that?" Maycron asked, not wanting to consider the fact that they might need to unearth all the half buried bodies to see who they were.

" I remember this dent on this shield," Melanie said, running her hand on the top part of the shield where it was slightly chipped off. " I gave this to Slyria when we got a bit too drunk in the bar two years ago."

She didn't realize it then, but tears had already started to fall from her eyes, dampening the cloth around her face.

---

Azaroth wasn't sure what was really happening to him. First of all, he felt light headed and dizzy, which came at no surprise actually. When he regained most of his senses, he could have sworn that God had somehow fast forwarded time in such a way that would explain why his neck was now placed upon a large chopping board, his hands tied to his back, someone's heavy foot on pressing hard on his head and the sight of people gathering around the crowded Pronteran square, just there to watch him die.

Whatever happened came in one quick pass. When he suddenly regained consciousness, he found himself bound up and being carried back to the capital city on the back of a large Griffin, guided by a Raydric. They set down somewhere quite far from the capital, and a High Priest, which Azaroth vaguely remembered his name as Jacton, warped them back into a dungeon somewhere.

" Well, vessel, I must say we are just in time. We have only set your execution date back by 24 hours, so be pleased that the ordinary civilians would be very well informed of your timely execution," one of the cardinals said. Azaroth couldn't be bothered remembering his name. He couldn't be bother asking why in the world that the cardinal had addressed him as a vessel. One hour later, he was place upon a small makeshift stage, his head on the chopping board.

" That was pretty quick…" Azaroth muttered to himself.

Someone stood up on a podium somewhere nearby, and started to address the people around there. Azaroth couldn't really hear what he was saying, mostly due to the fact that the man, whoever he was, who had his foot place on his head, was covering his ear, but Azaroth could probably guess that they were starting his execution now. The man was probably reading a statement about him, his crimes, and his last rites.

He looked into the crowd in general. There were mixed expressions in the crowd. Some showed, anger, other showed fear. He noticed people who looked at him with pity and disdain. " Man, I didn't do anything wrong. What the hell did I do to deserve this?" he asked himself.

-

" You can't be fucking serious!" Grimjaw bellowed, jumping off his seat and running towards the exit, kicking open the door in fury even though he knew darn well he could have just opened it.

" Grimjaw, where the hell do you think you are going?" Selene asked desperately.

" Where?! Where?! Azaroth is being executed this minute, and you have the gall to tell that to me now!?" Grimjaw demanded, trying to get out. However, he felt himself suddenly stopped by two pairs of arms grabbing him back. " What in the blazes do you think you are doing?!" he screamed as he saw Selene and Teranis holding him back.

" What do you think you are doing?!" Selene demanded. " Are you just going to pathetically rush there and get yourself killed in the process? There is no point in that!"

" Then am I to sit here and do nothing?!" Grimjaw exclaimed.

" There is nothing you can do!" Selene remarked.

All of a sudden, there was a blur of movement, and before she knew it, Grimjaw's elbow connected hard with Selene's face. She released her grip on him and reeled back in pain, clutching her bleeding nose. Teranis also released her grip on him, and rushed up to check on her friend.

" You beast!" she spat. Grimjaw merely cursed under his breath and left promptly. Teranis wanted to go after him, but she felt someone pull at her jacket. Selene clung on to her with her free hand, wanting her to stay.

" Please, just let him do what he wants…" Selene sobbed, tears in her eyes. Teranis made some half-hearted attempt to pursue him again, but then she stopped herself and hugged Selene tightly, trying to comfort her. " Have we failed again?" she asked, her face buried in her friend's chest.

" Perhaps just for now…" Teranis answered. Unknown to either of them, someone observed them quietly from the outside, and left promptly when it had seen enough to tell itself what was happening.

-

" Pretty good, Meillienne. Now, why don't you take a break for a while?" Reinne suggested.

" But I'm not tired yet," Meillienne objected.

" Oh, but I am. Go read a book or something. I need a break," Reinne chided good-naturedly. Meillienne merely obeyed and hurried off to the corner of Reinne's room, taking out a rather large book and placing it on her lap as she sat down on a silver coloured chair and opened its pages.

The truth was Reinne wasn't tired, and if she could get so tired at her age, that should be something she should be worrying about right now. She had some administrative duties to attend to, and couldn't exactly teach Meillienne all day, although she had to admit she was making excellent progress. She had no trouble channeling out her Holy abilities. All she basically had to learn now was to use them properly.

She walked out towards her glass shelf and poured herself a very strong drink, taking it down in one long gulp. Sighing contentedly, she was about to tell Meillienne to stay in her room while she went out when she saw a large gathering at the Pronteran square through her balcony. " What in the deuce is going on?" she mused, before her eyes opened wide in surprise as she realized what was really going on.

" Um, Reinne?" Meillienne asked timidly as Reinne tore out of the room in an instant.

-

" Down, bird!" Vermillion ordered roughly, pulling the reins hard. The Griffin she was riding on gave a loud screech, and flapped dangerously towards the ground. It landed clumsily on the branch of a large tree, with Serene and Vermillion getting a fistful of leaves in their face.

" Perfect landing…" Serene replied sarcastically.

" Indeed it was," Vermillion replied, jumping off the bird and landing ten feet below on the ground, grabbing her side in pain as she felt the impact of landing from so high up with injuries on her take effect. Serene followed suit, landing gracefully next to her. Her chest didn't seem to hurt that bad now, and the throbbing pain seemed to have subsided already, although there were trace amounts of pain still there.

They were close enough to the capital now, and Vermillion was close enough to open her warp portal. Seconds later, they were in the streets of Prontera, and they were in a crowd of people milling about.

" Where do you think Azaroth is right now?" Serene asked.

" I bet they are executing him right now!" Vermillion scowled.

" What?! How do you know that?!" Serene exclaimed.

" The Pronteran square seems to full for this time of the day!" Vermillion exclaimed, squeezing through the mass of people milling about. Serene tried her best to follow, weaving through the path of people Vermillion barged through

-

A few people looked up towards the rooftops curiously as they saw someone running across the roofs, leaping from one house to another, which was quite a rare sight in Prontera. Thinking it was one of the urchins in the streets taking a shortcut, they didn't pay much attention, although a few still looked curiously at Grimjaw, who felt that he was getting too much attention right now.

" Damn it, I don't know the directions to the place!" he grumbled to himself.

He had mainly figured that the execution area would be congregated with people, and all he would need to do was to find a large bunch of people. However, it was to his mistake he didn't consider the sheer amount of people staying in the capital city, and he had already been misled twice into believing he was heading to the right direction by following large crowds of people in general.

He finally caught sight of a couple of young males who talked excitedly about an execution, and he followed them closely from the rooftops. It didn't take too long before he reached the Pronteran square, which was teeming with people. His eyes caught sight of the execution stand located in the middle of the square, and with a familiar face in the middle. Someone was reading out something loudly at the top of his voice, but that was of no concern to him at the moment.

He jumped off the rooftop he was on and started to barge through the crowd, pushing people out of the way as he tried to get as close as possible to the middle of the crowd, with people looking at him quizzically as he roughly made his way through.

Not too far away, both Serene and Vermillion were doing the exact same thing, with much more progress than Grimjaw since Vermillion was about as strong as him, and wasn't going to hesitate punching people who wouldn't cooperate quick enough.

" Move!" Vermillion muttered dangerously, very pissed that she was making such slow progress in reaching Azaroth. She hadn't thought about what she was going to do when she actually reached the stand, most likely to beat her way through the crowd to the best of her ability. Her efforts in hitting people aside was now getting more and more pronounced, and most of the commoners were now stepping aside to allow the crazed monk to get through.

Someone in the alleyway turned to look at her, along with the elf who was struggling to keep close to her. The figure stepped out of the alleyway to take a better look of them, then sighed softly. The figure then turned its head towards the executions stand, where the man had finished reading Azaroth's rites. The executioner, who was a burly looking man with a mask over his face, placed his large axe upon the back of Azaroth's neck, before raising it up above his own head.

" This sure is going to be troublesome…" it said.

-

Azaroth sighed softly, wondering how he was feeling right now. Despite what he had felt days ago, he felt strangely calm, even knowing he would be dying within the next few minutes, or less. " Am I just accepting this as fate, or what?" he asked himself. Perhaps he had somehow embraced the fact that he was going to die and there was nothing to do about it, but just sit back, laugh and enjoy the ride.

"…I said, does the criminal have any last words?" came a voice.

Azaroth realized that the man who was giving some long speech earlier was not giving him a chance to speak. He adjusted his head a bit, facing the crowd, although the executioner's foot was still upon his head. The crowd looked at him apprehensively. Azaroth looked at them calmly, then grinned at them, which made them take a collective breath.

" You all are making a big mistake," Azaroth said as loudly as his voice could carry across to the crowd.

The executioner took his foot off his head. A second later, he felt the cold sensation of steel pressed upon the back of his neck, and the next second, the axe had been raised high above his head.

At that moment right before death, he started to think about a lot of things. He thought of his friends whom he had somehow left behind: Serene, Vermillion, Tryzen and Krayken. He could only make mere guesses where they were now, and whether they were alright or not. He though about Selene, the priest who he had met, and was basically the cause of all this, although he didn't blame her though. He thought of Serene, how they had initially met; of Vermillion, on how drunken she got one night in a bar; of Krayken, whom he never really had a serious conversation with; of Tryzen, whom he had so many things to share with after having not seen each other for so long.

His thoughts lingered upon Grimjaw, and he wondered how the rogue was doing. His sister as well, and he prayed that she was unharmed during the raid in Morroc. However, strangely, his last thoughts fell upon a female crusader, one with lustrous platinum blonde hair, the haughty look she had when she first arrested him when he stepped foot into the capital city.

'Why in the world am I thinking of her all of a sudden?' Azaroth thought, but his thoughts didn't linger long. He felt something fall behind his neck, and he knew it was already over.

Grimjaw, Vermillion and Serene stopped when they heard the sound of the dull thud of what remarkably sounded like the sound of an axe hitting the broad side of a large wooden box. Vermillion stared at the back of the crowd, and then barged through. Serene had stopped moving altogether, dropping to her knees and sobbing loudly.

Finally, after some effort, she reached the front of the crowd. Her eyes caught the sight of an unmoving body at the execution stand, and a small, slightly circular in shape, object, right below the stands, which was forming a pool of blood at where it lay. Vermillion didn't know what to do or say, but just stare at the head. She was so furious she couldn't even cry, even if she attempted to.

Grimjaw had disappeared from the crowd already, lashing out his anger at three knights he met along his way, leaving them bleeding in the alleyways as he disappeared into the darkness.

-

" I knew I'd find you here…" Reinne called out to the figure of Aesis, who was standing on the top of the church, looking at the procession below. He looked back to see her climb up the roof, walking up to where he was standing.

" You apparently knew me very well," Aesis said.

" I'd figure you would actually…"

" There is no way for me to get there in time, so no point wasting my energy when I know damn well I'll fail anyway. So, I've just came up here to watch the procession from afar," Aesis replied.

Reinne looked sadly at him, standing there at the edge of the roof, standing erect there with his arms folded around his chest as he frowned at the sight. She wanted to say something, but then decided not to. After all, she wasn't sure how would Aesis react.

" Thank you for coming here to keep me company anyway…" Aesis said. Reinne merely nodded, then jumped off the roof, deciding to leave Aesis there on the roof. Aesis stood there for a while, watching Reinne leave the church grounds by herself. It took a while before he decided to say anything else.

" No, Hades. We may still be able to salvage things here. All is not lost, especially when 'she' is still in the equation. I'm certain the cardinals will be dead by tomorrow," Aesis said, apparently talking to himself, before he jumped off the roof as well.


	30. Chapter 29: Final Intentions

**Chapter 29: Final Intentions**

Vermillion didn't have much time to contemplate upon the now severed head that was lying in a pool of crimson liquid in the middle of the Pronteran square. A number of monks and knights had seen her, and were now pointing their fingers at her as they spotted her within the crowd, which wouldn't be surprising seeing how she had played a part in blowing up the prison to get Azaroth out of the place.

Vermillion turned around in the opposite direction from where she initially came from as shrill cries of 'Get her!' and 'Hold her!' rang out in the air, not allowing the commoners and peasants who were present anytime to contemplate why a monk was running away from knights all of a sudden. They had failed in securing Azaroth. Now, they would have to worry about themselves.

" Come on, let's go!" Vermillion exclaimed, tugging Serene up and forcing her to run away. The elf was momentarily taken aback by the action, but she composed herself quickly and followed her companion closely. Both of them ran down the streets, with Vermillion in the front, pushing people out of the way. However, as they managed to barge through the entire crowd, they were met with a tricky situation.

High Priest Jacton was standing in their way, along with a couple of people from the church. Both of them looked left and right, seeing the small group form a tight semi-circle around them, with the rest of the crowd blocking them effectively from behind.

" My, my, look at what the bait attracted," Jacton sighed. " Looks like my job will be much easier to handle, since I'll just have to clean you all up here."

" You won't get away with this! I'll hunt all of you down like the demons I'm supposed to kill!" Vermillion snarled, her voice quivering beyond rage.

" Not if I can help it," Jacton said, snapping his fingers. The small group closed in upon Vermillion and Serene.

However, all of a sudden, there was a short swishing noise, and one of the priests there found two knives in the back of his neck. All of them looked around in surprise as he collapsed on the floor, bleeding profoundly. Serene caught a glance of a shadowy figure of a man standing on one of the roofs, knives in his hands. He glared down at them, his eyes filled with what Serene perceived as contempt.

Vermillion wasted no time in launching an offensive. She flew forward with whatever force her legs could muster, slamming her legs in a powerful swing against one of the crusaders, slamming him hard in the head, causing him to tumble aside. She violently started punching two other crusaders out of the way, her knuckles cracking painfully under the strain of having to slam her fists into metal.

Both of them managed to tear through the ranks of the people from the Holy Order, with Serene suffering a slight cut from one of the crusaders. The crusaders and monks started to chase them, with all the intent of hunting them down. As Serene ran along with Vermillion, who had equipped her Kaiser knuckles back on and was swearing all the way, she looked up to see who had saved them. The figure was now gone, but she somehow felt his presence around the area.

-

Grimjaw didn't know what compelled him to act as such, but only that he knew they were companions of Azaroth. His head was in a mess right now, seeing Azaroth being decapitated. More than anything, he felt that he threw those knives as a way to release his frustrations upon a helpless priest, whether he may be in their league or not.

He kept his presence quiet, trying to blend in within one of the chimneys he had hidden within. Several people had now emerged on the roof after his short stunt, and were now looking for him. Luckily for him, the chimney he was hiding within was rarely used, and was pretty much clean, so he didn't have to bother about keeping himself clean that much.

These Pronteran soldiers were moving slowly, but they were probably not that dumb to not check nice hiding places on the roofs, and that included chimneys. Grimjaw would like to avoid being detected and captured, and he hoped his skills honed in Morroc would serve him well here.

Straining his ears, he tried to listen to any noises coming from the house below him. Hearing nothing, he hoped that nobody was home when he slowly slid down the chimney, kicking up ash all the way down. He landed squarely on his feet on the bottom of the fireplace, making a mess by kicking up all the ash that had collected at the bottom. He had dropped by a small weapon shop, but from the looks of it, it looks like nobody was around. Ripping the nearby curtain, he wrapped himself in the crude brown cloth, and with that, exited the shop.

-

" Forget that idiot. It was probably a mistake to bring him here," Teranis argued. Selene still didn't reply, sitting down quietly on the sofa where Teranis had placed her, not budging or replying. Teranis sighed, wondering what to do now. It was then when she noticed that the door was open, and walked up to close it. " You'd think he'd have the decency to close it at least," Teranis sighed, closing the door, not before hearing a thud on the outside. Reopening the door again, she spotted a large, curved knife stuck to the surface of the wooden door, gleaming menacingly in the evening sun.

" Curses!" Teranis yelled, slamming the door shut as she heard multiple thuds on the door, signifying several more knives were sent in her direction.

" What's wrong?!" Selene asked, jumping up as she saw her friend's reaction, but before Teranis could reply, there was the sound of splintering wood, and a blade broke through a crack in the door, precariously missing Teranis's ear by an inch. She instantly rolled out of the way, knowing whoever wanted to enter to badly would break it down this very instant. Her guess was right on target as the door was kicked open, and several figures in cloaks entered the place.

Teranis's hand went down to the pouch she had attached to her belt, and flicked out a small bottle and flung it at one of the assailants, smashing it in his face. He gave a terrible howl of agony as the liquid splashed all over his face, and it was understandable when they heard the loud sizzling sound that followed as the acid started to eat his face.

One of them drew out s short blade and went for Selene, thinking she was the weakest among the two, but he was greatly mistaken. She swiftly moved forward, and with a flick of her hand, deflected his hand, sending the blade approaching at another angle, missing her face. Being wide open, she placed two fingers on the man's chest and surged her energy through. The was a flash a bright white light, a loud bang, and the man was thrown backwards with such force to rival a cannon, slamming into the rest of them, knocking them backwards.

Teranis flicked out two more vials, both of them containing colourless liquid and with a deft, graceful flick of her hand, threw both of them at the feet of the rogues entering the room. A couple of them backed off as they saw something fly in their direction, guessing it was acid, but they were very much mistaken. As soon as the two vials hit the floor and broke, and the liquid came together, there place blew up as if someone lit up a stick of dynamite.

" Teranis!" Selene exclaimed, not aware that her friend was carrying such dangerous potions.

" Hey, I know your room will be a little charred, but hey, looks like be beat most of them back," Teranis replied, seeing the crumpled bodies of the men who attacked them, some of their clothing still smoking from the blast. The main entrance was completely blown away, and the door was now a charred stump.

" Teranis!" Selene exclaimed once more, this time raising her voice with anger.

" Yeah, yeah, I know…I know…" Teranis sighed.

" Was this why the librarians of Juno forbade you to excess their libraries?" Selene exclaimed.

" Yeah, pretty much…" Teranis sighed.

However, there was a blur of movement somewhere within all the dust that the blast had kicked up. Teranis's hand went for another bottle of acid, but the person made it to her just in time, grabbing her hand and twisting it around her back, dropping the vial of acid on the stone floor, where it started to eat away at the floor. Selene raised her arms, but the person pressed a Stiletto to her neck, resting the length of the blade on her neck.

" No smart moves, priestess, or you'll be painting the floor crimson with her blood," the man threatened. Selene and Teranis didn't move, but someone else did.

Grimjaw leaped through the window, his knives twirling in his fingers. The man holding Teranis hostage spotted him at once, and tried to run the knife across Teranis's neck. However, Grimjaw was quick enough to slip his blade behind his, and yank him away. Slightly freed, Teranis dropped to her feet, not before pinning a needle into the guy's foot before rolling aside. He howled suddenly in pain.

" What the hell was that for, bitch?!" the man cried.

" I think you very well know why," Grimjaw snarled menacingly, leaping forward now that Teranis was out of the way. The man tried to move, only to find himself unable to. Taking this opportune moment, Grimjaw flicked out two long daggers and plunged it into the man's chest, ripping it out after he carved a crude hole upon his chest with ease, the crimson blood gushing out like an erupting geyser.

" What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Selene exclaimed, pulling him away from the man, but the man was already beyond help.

" What, exactly, do you think I'm doing?!" Grimjaw bit back, snarling.

" There was no need for such violence!" Selene scolded him.

" I'm damn pissed right now, so don't you dare tell me the level of violence I should be showing!" Grimjaw spat back, before pacing the room like some caged angry beast. Selene was about to give another remark when Teranis placed her hand on her shoulder, shaking her head when she turned to look at her.

" Azaroth's dead, isn't he?" Selene asked. Grimjaw merely grunted. It didn't signify whether he agreed with the remark or not.

" What have we been fighting for?" Selene sighed in disappointment.

" The fight isn't over yet!" Grimjaw snarled, his eyes dancing madly. " I'm going to find all of these scumbags, and when I do, I'm going to painfully rip them apart!"

" You are one guy going against the Holy Order?! You have to be insane to even consider that!" Selene exclaimed.

" I've long lost most of my sanity in Morroc. Don't lecture me on what to do," Grimjaw said, slowing his pacing. Looking up at Selene, he suddenly asked, " Aren't you going to open a warp portal?"

" What?"

" Look, they know who we are, what we are looking for, and they know darn well what to do with us! Are we going to sit here and wait or what?!" Grimjaw exclaimed. Selene and Teranis knew very well his insides were boiling, and he was just lashing out at them just to vent his anger. Teranis didn't like it, but Selene kind of understood how he felt and she didn't mind one bit.

" Very well…" she said, preparing the warp portal.

-

Vermillion and Serene crawled out of a small manhole, emerging from the Pronteran sewers. Running around in the streets would not help them one bit, since there would be a whole bunch of people looking out for them. Vermillion made for the sewers as soon as she could afford it, breaking upon a sealed manhole somewhere in the middle of an alleyway and jumping inside. She didn't know where the hell she was heading in the sewers, but then again, neither will the people who were chasing them.

" Can't you just open another warp portal out of this place?" Serene asked.

" It's not possible. I'm running low on my Holy powers, and I've almost exhausted most of my supply of energy. At best, I can just transport us about 200 meters from where we are, which I'm not sure where that would lead us, and I don't think I have any coordinates for anywhere around 200 meters. We need to do this the old fashioned way," Vermillion replied, helping Serene out from the drain.

They were now in one of the deserted alleyways south of Prontera. Both of the immediately leaped out and leaned themselves against the walls as sounds of pounding feet came towards their direction. A group of knights passed their direction, and they were unsure whether they were actively searching for them or they had some other objective in mind. They waited for them to pass, before taking a good look around.

" Let's keep to the back alleyways. It's much safer this way," Vermillion suggested. Serene merely nodded her head in agreement, slowly following her as she made her way down the alleyway.

The deeper parts of the alleyways were much more intricate and maze-like than Serene had envisioned. A short 100 meter pathway would have at least 8 branching paths, each path with a similar number of branching paths, most of them leading to dead ends anyway. However, Vermillion seemed to know the layout of the place by heart, weaving through the dark pathways, making it look like it was instinct guiding her along the way.

" I used to live in the slums for sometime, so this could be considered my own turf," Vermillion replied, seeing Serene's expression.

" I see…" Serene replied.

" Don't worry about it, I'll get us out of here," Vermillion said confidently.

" I wasn't thinking about anything like that!" Serene exclaimed.

" Oh…well, hmm…" Vermillion stammered. Serene noticed a chance in Vermillion's personality. She seemed a bit quieter now than she was an hour ago. Perhaps it was Azaroth's death that had affected her in such a way. _No, don't even think about it…_ she thought to herself.

" Where should we go after this?" Serene asked.

" We stick with our original plan. We go to the forests of Payon like we were supposed to. I've always wanted to see that homeland of yours," Vermillion replied solemnly. Serene knew she only said that to try to make her feel better. Vermillion had repeated countless times where she complained about going into a place where elves lived.

" Where do we…"

" Why are there all these questions? Damn it, you never ask this much before! Becoming pessimistic, are we?" Vermillion exclaimed, sounding more like her old self now. Serene paused for a second, slightly taken aback by the reaction. " I…er, what I meant was…" Vermillion started to stammer, seeing Serene react as such.

Vermillion felt herself being tightly engulfed in a hug, as Serene flung her arms around her and started sobbing quietly on her chest. Vermillion wasn't one to give words of comfort. It just wasn't her nature. She merely hugged Serene back, patting her head softly, some swear words reaching the tip of her mouth, but she withheld it due to the situation.

" You really did like him, didn't you?" Vermillion sighed, trying to comfort an anguished Serene.

Serene stopped sobbing for a while. " Did you like him?" she asked after a while.

" Bah, that useless bugger?! I prefer a much more outgoing, violent person, preferably someone like me. He was nothing more than a good friend. He was yours for the taking," Vermillion replied, before realizing the irony of the remark, since Azaroth was no longer here for the taking. However, Serene didn't seem to have heard the last remark.

All of a sudden, Serene's ears picked up something, and she disengaged herself from Vermillion, only to see High Priest Jacton standing along the alleyway, along with a couple of Injustices in tow.

" Sorry to break up the little, sweet gathering, but really, you'll have all the time in the world when you are dead," he said.

Vermillion immediately pushed Serene back as the two Injustices leaped at them, her fists tightening as the two of the approached. She dropped to the ground as one of them lashed at her, it's undead claw scratching her cheeks as she didn't drop herself fast enough. She them tried to sweep at the Injustices legs, but her feet merely met with thin air. The two of them leaped down, slamming their claws hard on her, pinning her painfully on the floor.

There was a short twang of string being pulled, and one of the Injustices gave a loud howl of pain. Serene had executed a perfect shot into its eye socket, puncturing it's eye. Seeing one of them being disabled, Vermillion retracted her legs back and gave it a hard shove with her foot, sending him falling backwards. Grabbing the other with her free hand, she tossed him towards the wall. However, as she got to her feet, a hand grabbed her neck powerfully, lifting her up from the ground.

" Your struggles are impressive, I must say, but it ends here!" Jacton snarled.

" Piss off, you little jack!" Vermillion howled, despite Jacton crushing most of her windpipe as she threw a punch at his face. However, her fists was met with an invisible wall, and ethereal ripples were seem rippling inches were Vermillion's fists halted an inches from Jacton's face. _No, wait…a safety wall? He can use Holy magic?! But that would mean some of those in allegiance with the demonic cardinals aren't demons themselves!_ Vermillion thought. That would explain how some of the higher-ups never noticed this.

Vermillion wasn't given much time to contemplate upon such matters. Jacton placed her body parallel to a nearby window, and then suddenly blasted her into the window with his powers, a bright white flash bursting from his hands, sending Vermillion crashing through the window. Vermillion gave a howl of pain as she was sent through the window, bits of glass cutting her body all over.

" V!" Serene exclaimed.

" The monk had been taken care off. Kill the elf!" Jacton ordered. The Injustices which had been temporarily disabled by Vermillion's now got up, cracked their necks for a while, and then leaped at her. It just wasn't her nature to leave her friends, and she readied herself against the attack, even though she knew the odds were against her.

She fired two arrows at once from her bow, but they missed this time, since the Injustices were aware of her attack, twisting around to avoid the on-coming arrows. Serene crouched down this time to get a better aim, pulling her bowstrings even harder as she had another arrow ready. The string twanged loudly as she released the string. The arrows flew towards its target, this time flying faster than ever. It hit one of the Injustices in the chest, sending it to the floor as it lost its balance from the strike, but the other reached out for her.

She rolled under its outstretched arms, and with one swing of her arms, executed a cut on its belly with a knife she had, letting the black blood gush all over the place. She kicked the Injustice aside, and even though she didn't have Vermillion's strength, she managed to kick it aside, dropping it to the floor. As she readied another arrow, Jacton suddenly spoke to her. " Now, now, not that fast," he said, before snapping his fingers.

" Argh!" Serene yelled in agony, her chest suddenly burning painfully as if she was pierced by a thousand burning hot needles. She suddenly tasted blood in her lips, dripping down her chin.

" It looks like the curse they implemented is still effective," Jacton said. " Finish her off."

The Injustices got up, and using one hand each, picked her up and pushed her against the wall. With one swift movement, they sank their claws into her sides, their sharp edges piercing her chest cavity.

" No! You bastards!" Serene heard Vermillion yell out all of a sudden.

The pain was so sharp Serene couldn't seem to cry out. In fact, she couldn't shout out anyway. She felt her lungs fill up with her blood, their claws sinking deep into her. Ripping out their claws, they allowed her to slide down on the floor, crumpling in a bleeding heap as she coughed out blood. She felt herself go unbearably cold as she felt her life slowly ebb out from her, slowly diminishing along with her loss of blood.

" Die, you piece of shit!" Vermillion howled, leaping out of the window Jacton sent her crashing through. Jacton made a quick side step, avoiding her flying body. As Vermillion spun around, boiling with rage, her eyes spotted something shiny, but her arms didn't make it in time.

Jacton slammed a knife down on Vermillion's upper chest, right against her throat. Vermillion managed to grab his hands as they hit her chest, disallowing him from sinking his blade any further, but serious damage had already been inflicted. Jacton violently yanked his knife off her chest as Vermillion stumbled backwards weak from the loss of blood and from the injury inflicted.

" Shit..." Vermillion groaned, slumping down on the ground. Her head going dizzy from the loss of blood.

" Well, that was faster than I expected," Jacton laughed, walking away. Snapping his fingers, the Injustices that were with him followed obediently, leaving the two females bleeding on the alleyways of Prontera, far from the eyes of people.


	31. Chapter 30: Repercussion

**Chapter 30: Repercussion**

" How are you feeling right now?" Krayken asked.

" Much better since now I can walk without you carrying me on your back like some mule," Tryzen replied, swinging his arms around. " I must say, those red herb extracts you made were excellent. I feel very much better already." Krayken, being an assassin, had some knowledge in making potions from basic healing herbs that could be gather around the place, but he was no where as close as an alchemist, although he was good enough for the time being.

" Don't mention it," Krayken mused, continuing their walk.

They had mainly kept themselves to the forests, keeping away from the main road as they made their way to the city of Prontera yet again. Tryzen had run out of his supply of butterfly wings, and they were unable to enter the city by means of teleportation, which means that they needed to walk. That was the least of their worries, since it would only take mostly a day to reach there. The problem was how to enter.

They had lost sight of Vermillion and Serene, and from Krayken's observation of seeing an elf and a monk riding on a Griffin, he assumed that both of them were back in Prontera already. It was probably a rash move to rescue Azaroth, but then again Vermillion was always rash, so it was to be expected. He prayed nothing would happen to them before they got back.

" May I ask what do you plan on doing when we get back?" Krayken asked.

" I'm going to open up the dead cardinal's grave," Tryzen replied in a matter-of-factly. Krayken stopped in his tracks and gave Tryzen one of his rare signs of confusion on his face.

" Where the hell are we?" Grimjaw asked, looking around. Selene had warped them to a dark area. Squinting his eyes, he noted that they were in a dark, gloomy and dusty room, the corners of the walls piled meters high with books, furniture and rubbish. There was barely any light in the area, and even though Grimjaw wasn't sure where exactly was this place, he was quite certain they were still in Prontera.

" The upper levels of the church," Selene answered.

" Why here?" Teranis asked, almost tumbling over a carelessly placed box.

" It is unlikely that they will search this place, and besides, from the looks of the dust on the floor, nobody has visited this area in years and besides the three of us, I doubt anyone would be here anytime soon. Besides, what's the point in getting out of the city? We still have things to deal with here," Selene replied.

" What? You intent to continue with this investigation?" Teranis asked.

" I plan to see it to the end," Selene replied resolutely. " If they think executing Azaroth and scaring the shit out of us by using a bunch of thugs to kill us off, then I think they don't know me very well. I won't blame you if you wish to pull out now, but I must sincerely apologise for getting you involved this far."

" Oh, so now you apologise. You sure know how to say things at the right time now, don't you?" Teranis chided, grinning.

" I take it from your reaction you aren't backing out," Selene replied warmly.

" Hmph, what can you possibly do without me? Besides, didn't you call me here to help you?" Teranis replied.

" Grimjaw, what will you do?" Selene asked.

Grimjaw merely grunted and headed for the exit. He opened the door of the room, peering out into the dark upper hallways of the church. He then paused at the exit, swaying back and forth as if indecisive in whether to stay or leave.

" Azaroth's death wasn't necessary. I'm going to make those who did that pay for their actions. Whatever I'm doing my be disadvantageous to both of you, not to mention placing you in danger as well. I'll do this my way, so for now, I believe we shall part for the meantime. I believe that you will take care of my sister well, or whoever you have placed her in-charge with," Grimjaw replied.

He then headed out the door, but not before adding " And for my actions earlier, I'm sorry for hurting you in such a way. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, I just wanted you to know," before leaving, his footsteps silently walking away.

" Damned punk, he could at least have the courtesy to at least face you before apologising," Teranis scowled.

" Don't mind him, it's alright with me," Selene replied, smiling at her friend. " It's the thought that counts after all."

Meillienne looked up from her book to see Reinne return to her room, looking slightly confused and tired. Meillienne quietly watched her mentor collapse on a large sofa, take a large bottle of an alcoholic drink and gulp it down heavily, stopping when she was half done with with bottle, wiping her mouth clean when she paused.

" Um, something the matter?" Meillienne asked quietly when she felt the time was correct to interject.

" Yeah, something on my mind, but nothing you should concern yourself with," Reinne answered politely. Her head was in fact filled with things in mind, like Azaroth's execution and Aesis's future plans. As she was about to take another gulp, someone knocked on her door and entered.

" You know Aesis, if you came in without permission, why even bother knocking in the first place?" Reinne sighed, watching Aesis enter.

" Well, I decided that you could at least use some company for a drink. Don't tell me you are finishing that all by yourself?" Aesis replied. As a reply, Reinne tossed him the bottle, and Aesis caught it deftly. He turned to see Meillienne having stood up and was now bowing down at him to him.

" Please, I'm not royalty. If you don't need to bow down to Reinne, you sure don't need to bow down to me," Aesis replied. Meillienne looked at him shiftily, then bowed once at Reinne before bowing once more at Aesis, who shook his head and muttered 'cheeky' under his breath.

" Doesn't she remind you of a certain someone?" Reinne asked.

" Hmm, I wonder..." Aesis muttered as he took a drink. " Meillienne Windwalker, was it? Pleasure to meet you, and now I order you to stop bowing at me. I don't deserve it." Meillienne straightened up and stood there, her book in her hands. " God, why do these newbies act like stiff boards whenever they see me?" Aesis sighed.

" Meilienne, this is the commander of the 1st Division of Pronteran army, and overall commander of the Pronteran army, Aesis Crenilia," Reinne introduced.

" Pleasure to meet you," she replied.

" Pleasure is all mine, my fine lady," Aesis replied. Meillienne blushed slightly.

" Aesis, she's too young for you, so if you are going to further embarrass her, I'll going to beat you into submission," Reinne replied. However, both of them turned around when Meillienne tried her best to suppress a chuckle.

" I'm sorry..it's just that both of you don't seem to fit in the image of division commanders, the way you act..." Meillienne admitted.

" Well, would you prefer if we acted otherwise?" Aesis asked.

" No."

" Fine, I'm going to assume you aren't going to give any further complaints then," Aesis replied.

" May I ask a question?" Meillienne asked.

" Fire away," Reinne replied as Aesis finished his drink.

" There was this commotion earlier at the Pronteran square, and I could see it from the balcony? What was all of that about?" Meillienne asked.

Before either of them could answer, another person came in the room, and unlike Aesis she didn't knock. Meillienne turned around to see a rather weathered lady in her late 40s enter the room, her paladin armour in full display. She had long marine blue hair lined with streaks of grey and matching dark blue eyes.

" Hmm, first thing they do when I get back was to execute Azaroth. Brilliant timing," the woman said, taking off her helm and letting her hair down. " Anyway, I hear Melanie wanted to see me, but where is she?"

" Perfect timing, Deinnelle..." Reinne groaned, seeing Meillienne's expression that signified that she had something at the wrong time.

Serene wasn't sure what she felt. In fact, she couldn't feel anything. She was vaguely aware that she was lying on the cobblestone pathway of the alleyways, surrounded by the backs of several buildings, two large puncture wounds on her chest. She was quite aware that blood was seeping out of her wound, but surprisingly, she didn't feel any pain. All she felt was this strange drowsy feeling overcoming her, wanting to bring upon her everlasting sleep.

However, her ears seemed to be still functioning, because she could hear something pulling itself along the cobbled pathway, as if struggling to come closer to her. She was too weak to turn her head, so she waited patiently for whatever it was to arrive, somehow hoping it would arrive fast enough before she died.

Vermillion came into view, one of her hands against her bleeding neck, which she had miraculously managed to seal up the wound with whatever powers she had remaining before she passed out, an act that probably would have saved her life, for the consequences for not doing so would probably lead her to die from blood loss.

Vermillion groaned loudly as she propped herself next to the wall where Serene lay in a bloody heap, her breathing hard and painful, her eyes unfocused. Breathing heavily, she said " Give me a second, I'll fix you up in a jiffy."

" There is no need...I can't..."

" Shut your trap, you bloody piece of shit! You damned well heard me say I'll fix you, so I'll damn well fix you!" Vermillion spat. Serene merely looked at her and smiled. " What are you grinning about, you lousy elf?! Damn you, and damn all of this!"

" That's rare...I rarely see you going about in bursts of emotion..." Serene gasped weakly.

" What the fuck are you talking about?!" Vermillion screamed.

" ...I've never seen you cry..." Serene replied. Vermillion paused. As much as she tried to hold them back, she couldn't stop her tears coming out from her eyes. They stung painfully, possibly because she had never shed any tears in a long time.

" ...To have you cry over me...you don't know how much that means to me, V..." Serene gasped.

" Stop talking, damn it! You'll be fine! Fine, I tell you!" Vermillion exclaimed, pressing her hand upon Serene's wounds and trying to heal her, but it was a futile attempt. She had exhausted all of her supply of Holy energy, and her hands started to hurt from straining to take out something that was not there.

" ...Stop it, V...I can no longer...feel my body..." Serene replied.

Serene was vaguely aware of something hot and wet dropping on her face as Vermillion started crying over her, her hands lying gingerly over her bloodied body. " This is all my fault...I should have never taken you here...we should have never came back..."

" No...V...I was glad...now...perhaps I can see Azaroth again..." Serene replied, coughing.

" Don't die on me! Don't die on me, please!" Vermillion howled in anguish.

" It was short...our time together...cough...but...I really liked your company...my only regret was in not meeting you earlier," Serene said weakly. It wasn't long now. The time was coming. She did her best and raised her hand towards Vermillion's face, touching her softly. Vermillion stopped crying for a while, although tears continued to pour down her face.

" Any...words...for Azy...?" Serene gasped.

" Tell him I'm going to beat the crap out of him when the next time we meet..." Vermillion sobbed.

" Will...do...my ...friend..." Serene replied, her hands dropping lifelessly next to her body. Vermillion stared at the lifeless body of her friend for one second, then let out a howl of anguish as loud as she could possibly muster, her voice echoing hauntingly all around the alleyways, before she started crying again.

Her head shot up instantly when she saw someone standing not to far away. A cloaked figure of a man with red hair and piercing blue eyes. Vermillion recognised him instantly. He was the one who helped them earlier by throwing a knife at one of the priests.

" Who are you?! What do you want?!" Vermillion howled as Grimjaw looked passively at her.

---

Maycron sat down on a large piece pillar of rock that was once part of the ruins that surrounded the desert city, taking a sip from his canteen. His superior still had not returned, and turning around he still saw her there. Melanie stood at the field where the remnants of the platoon were half buried, looking emptily at them. Maycron decided not to disturb her, but then again, he had been waiting for hours on end, and Melanie had not budged since them.

He wasn't too sure what to make of this mess. Finding remnants of a platoon from his division was a scary thought to consider, but then again, Melanie promised not to tell him anything if he didn't ask, which Maycron was glad to oblige. He didn't want any participation in this, and it smelt like trouble.

" I hope this event isn't like one of those that unravel themselves to some armageddon like situations where I die later. I've got a girlfriend back home I want to marry. I don't want to die anytime soon," Maycron said darkly to himself, taking another drink from his almost empty canteen.

" Never knew you had a girlfriend..." Melanie's voice floated right next to his ears. Maycron sputtered as he suddenly chocked on the water, spurting it out of his nose.

" Commander, for a person as large as you are, you can surprisingly move as silently as a ghost," Maycron sputtered, coughing loudly.

" Was that a complement or an insult?" Melanie asked, grinning. Maycron was not too sure what to say. He had seen his captain cry all of a sudden earlier, something he had never imagined he would see in his life, and now she was joking with him.

" Um...you figure it out..." Maycron replied.

" Hmm, Soreen must be a real lucky lady to get someone at such a young age," Melanie replied, sitting down next to him and taking a long gulp from her canteen.

" Jumping into conclusions, are we captain?" Maycron laughed.

" Well, I can only assume that. After all, I've seen you walking around her her dormitory lately, and not to mention, she had some difficulty riding a Peco Peco the last two days, even though she never had problems before..."

" I said, jumping into conclusions, are we?" Maycron interrupted, raising his voice.

" Do know that the old farts of the church don't like you young acolytes getting all lovey-dovey, especially in the monastery. Besides, the straw beds you have in your rooms are pretty uncomfortable for..." Melanie continued.

" Look here! I didn't ...er, what's the word...oh shit, it should be obvious what I did," Maycron groaned, slapping his forehead, totally embarrassing himself.

" Here's a bit of advice: If you two ever need to have some private time together, why don't you try the army inns? Tell the innkeeper that you have been recommended by me, and I'm sure he'll be happy to give you a discount, and the rooms are way better than the ones in the monastery. Just don't break Soreen's heart, alright, or you'll have to deal with me personally," Melanie replied.

" Um, Captain, why are you being so nice?" Maycron asked.

Melanie paused for a while, then replied, laughing once more. " Was that a complement or an insult?" she asked once more. Maycron didn't have an answer ready. Melanie sighed, looking away.

" Well, I must admit, this is pretty irregular since I don't usually act like this. Perhaps I'm just...upset," Melanie sighed.

Maycron looked at his captain, then stood up immediately. Melanie looked around curiously, wondering what he was up to now. " Captain, if this is what takes you to be nice to me, I'd rather you treat me like shit for the rest of my life," Mayron replied, saluting at her. Melanie's eyes widened in surprise, then softened after a while.

" I'll keep that in mind," Melanie said before standing up. " Well then, let's go back. I have nothing left here to confirm."

---

Grimjaw placed the blanket over Serene's unmoving body, covering her from head to toe. He had cleaned her injuries and bandaged her neatly. Now, she lay under the layer of rags, left at the corner of a warehouse he had broken into. He gave a short prayer, even though he wasn't really religious, just out of mere respect, before leaving her body. He walked out to meet Vermillion, who was huddled by the corner where several boxes stood.

" How are you feeling?" Grimjaw asked, lighting a cigarette. Vermillion merely nodded, looking at her hands. Vermillion remembered Grimjaw shoving down some burning concoction down her throat, and despite it being a tasteless and agonising drink, she started to feel much better, and her strength starting to return. She started to smell smoke around the place, but she wasn't going to ask Grimjaw to stop. After all, the smoke had some sort of narcotic effect, and Vermillion could use its effects right now.

" Better..." Vermillion mumbled. Grimjaw merely nodded and continued smoking. Vermillion had gave him a short description of whatever happened, and Grimjaw was also compelled to explain his part. It came to no real surprised that they found out they both were here because of Azaroth.

" I'm sorry for what happened to your friend," Grimjaw said.

" Don't mention it," Vermillion said, pulling the large piece of cloth Grimjaw managed to find in the place over her head, hiding her face. " What are you doing her anyway, all the way from your home Morroc?"

Grimjaw gave her a dry laugh. " Morroc isn't exactly what I would like to call my home. I have always longed to get away from it anyway. Well, now that you mention it, I guess I'm not sure where exactly can I call a place my home. I'm here just for my sister anyway," Grimjaw replied. Vermillion merely turned her head, wondering what it was all about.

" She's here to join the church as an acolyte," Grimjaw replied.

" Isn't that dangerous? You do know the Cardinals might be after you. They might hold her for leverage against you," Vermillion retorted.

" I'm not too worried. First of all, I'm supposedly dead, but magically alive thanks to my sister's skill in healing powers. Secondly, she's under the care of Princess Reinne, so I doubt they'll do anything silly with her under her care," Grimjaw replied.

" I didn't know Selene had so much influence," Vermillion replied.

" You'd be surprised," Grimjaw replied.

" So, why exactly are you here?" Vermillion asked.

" Azaroth..."

" He's no longer here..." Vermillion muttered darkly.

" Well then, I'm just going to make some people pay for it," Grimjaw replied.

" Are you crazy? Do you know what you are up against? Besides, don't you have a sister you need to take care off?" Vermilion exclaimed loudly.

" Don't take me wrongly. I don't intend to die in the shitty capital. I have two important things: revenge for Azaroth, and my sister, and being a greedy rogue, I'm going to take both of them, nothing less. I haven't killed people recently, and these hands of mine are getting slightly edgy from the lack of things to do here," Grimjaw said, cracking his knuckles.

Vermillion giggled slightly, then started to burst out in a maniacal laughter. She got up and threw back the cloth she had over her head and continued to laugh, her voice echoing all around the warehouse. She continued to laugh for a while as Grimjaw watched her passively, allowing her time to cool off.

" Excellent, I love your idea! We shall paint the church red by the afternoon tomorrow! Let me join you! I wish to sate this longing appetite of mine!" Vermillion replied, her face contorted in fury and spite.

" Halt!" one of the knights manning the front gate spoke. The carriage slowed to a halt at the entrance of the gates of Prontera as the driver pulled the reins of the Peco Pecos that were pulling it, the large yellow birds squawking loudly.

" Sorry, security check," the knight said.

" Sure, feel free to check my carriage," the old man driving it said.

Several knights moved around the carriage, checking the contents in the back. The back of the carriage was full of vegetables, along with several barrels of wine. Other than that, it looked empty. One of the knights went up and opened the wine barrel, only to see it full to the brim with wine. Finding nothing suspicious, he stepped out and said " It's clean." His commander nodded, and waved to the old man to move forward.

Seconds later, a head emerged from the barrel, gasping for air. " Damn it, I'm getting drunk..." Tryzen groaned. Krayekn emerged from another barrel not too far away. They slid out of the barrels quietly, having hitched a free ride into the capital. They were dripping wet with wine, but they couldn't complain. They had left most of their possessions somewhere outside the capital to avoid getting it spoiled by the wine.

Seeing that the driver still had not entered the main square, they took this chance to get out of the carriage when nobody was around to see them. The driver might notice the mess they had made, but then they had decided to risk it after all.

They decided to bide their time quietly, waiting for the cover only nighttime could bring. Staying for hours in the alleyway, they started to make their move after Krayken managed to steal a few scraps of food from a nearby store. It was during this time that they had also learned of Azaroth's execution. Tryzen knew it it was bound to happen, and he constantly kept telling himself that there was nothing he could have done. Krayken gave him enough time to collect his thoughts before they continued.

The graveyard where the cardinal was buried was right next to the church. Special people with class and rank were given much proper burials, and it didn't take them long to find the grave of the former Cardinal Crenarius Morison.

" Well, let's see if the dead can tell tales," Tryzen said as he attempted to broke down the large marble covering of the grave as Krayken stood around to keep watch around the area.


	32. Chapter 31: Bittersweet Vengeance

**Chapter 31: Bittersweet Vengeance**

Dawn was close to breaking, and Tryzen could already see the sky turning orange from the morning rays of the sun. He panted heavily as he tossed the shovel aside as he sat down to take a break. He would need to finish his excavation quickly before the sun breaks the horizon, since he might be in plain view to the eyes of anyone around the place.

" I should have helped you know. Would be much faster that way," Krayken mused, still leaning against one of the tombstones, keeping watch.

" I needed you to keep an eye on our surroundings just in case someone came along. You have better eyes and ears than I do," Tryzen mused.

" Are you just trying to stress yourself over..."

" I thought that we have agreed not to broach the subject," Tryzen snapped back.

" You know, you aren't the only one who is pissed about all this, alright," Krayken replied. Tryzen merely looked up at Krayken, who had his back towards him.

" Alright, I'm sorry...but is that the reason why you have been so wordy this morning?" Tryzen asked, chuckling. Krayken merely gave a soft noise under his breath, which could have been a grunt, chuckle or a cough. Tryzen figured it was all three at once.

He took a look at his handiwork. The had managed to dig up about 6 feet deep worth of soil in one night. Right now, a white marble coffin lay in the middle, embossed with gold and silver linings of intricate patterns. Tryzen shoved the top off, with some effort, and the marble top came off, sliding off and dropping on the floor with a muffled thud. Tryzen and Krayken peered inside, and what he saw confirmed what Tryzen figured was inside.

" Well, I must say, your guess was on the mark," Krayken answered passively. Tryzen wasn't sure whether it was a praise or a sarcastic remark. " What do we do with it?"

" Well, we need to use this as leverage, above anything else. The problem is, who the heck are we supposed to move a marble tomb around? We'll need it to prove this was the Cardinal's coffin," Tryzen sighed. He saw that the sky was almost breaking already. " We'll need to do this fast before anyone gets here."

" There is no need for that," Krayken replied.

" Why is that?" Tryzen asked.

" As you said, we can use this as leverage," Krayken answered. Tryzen didn't catch Krayken's intentions initially, but then it dawned on him on what he meant a while later when his face brightened up. " Shall I get us some manpower and a carriage?"

" No, first of all, I'd like you to find Selene. Perhaps she can get something done with her influence," Tryzen replied.

" I though she wasn't in her room the last we checked, which was pretty irregular. She's probably hiding somewhere," Krayken replied.

" Well Krayken, are you feeling religious today?" Tryzen asked.

-

" Morning, lovely," Teranis greeted Selene as she got up. Selene saw that Teranis was munching on a piece of sandwich. She took one from her pouch and tossed it to Selene, who caught it in time. She wasn't going to ask how in the world did she get a sandwich, since she was now just too hungry to complain. They had not been able to eat a decent dinner last night since they were busy hiding at the top of the of the church, biding their time patiently.

" Morning," Selene returned the reply politely, biting onto the sandwich.

" So, what will our next move be?" Teranis asked.

" Finishing this sandwich," Selene answered.

" Good one, what next after the sandwich?" Teranis continued.

" To get another one," Selene replied.

" Already seen to that," Teranis said, digging into her pouch to retrieve another sandwich.

" You seem to be able to read my mind. Are you sure none of your chemicals have fallen upon my sandwich?" Selene asked.

" Hey, as they always say, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger," Teranis laughed.

" Problem is, I don't plan on dying anytime now," Selene replied, chuckling. " No, seriously, I hope there is nothing weird peppered on my sandwich."

" Relax, you sound like a mother or something," Teranis laughed.

" I know I'm old."

" I didn't say you were," Teranis replied.

" Oh, just shut up. I'm not in the mood for jokes in the middle of the morning," Selene sighed, leaning back on the box she had been sleeping upon. Her priestess robes were in a mess, half of it partially covered with dust and dirt from the room nobody had bothered to clean up.

" Actually, I'm not too sure myself. Perhaps something will present itself as an opportunity, but other than that, I assume we just sit tight and wait for that time to come," Selene answered, finishing her sandwich quickly. Teranis was slightly put off as she had somehow hoped Selene would have come up with something, but then again that would be expecting too much and logically, there was nothing they could actually do, unless they decided to just burst into the monastery.

As soon as they were finished with their quick meal, they were interrupted by a commotion from down below. They heard someone open the heavy wooden doors of the church, which was unnatural at this hour. They suddenly jumped up when they heard an elderly voice scream " Begone, assassin, this is no place for one such as you to step in!"

" No way, how'd they find us so fast?!" Teranis exclaimed, as the both of them jumped to their feet in an instant. Selene, however, dashed out of the room in an instant. Her mind wasn't about her safety, it was about the elderly father who manned the place below. Her footsteps thundered down the hallway as she dashed to reach the bottom. As she burst out of the place, a different sight greeted her.

Standing by the doorway were several people from the church: three crusaders, 3 monks and 2 priests. The father priest who Selene had presumed she had heard was not around, and it was bloody obvious that they had tricked her.

" Well, that was quite predictable, priestess," one of the crusaders laughed darkly. " Besides the father priest in question has been taken care off, and you can find his remains at the back of the church."

Selene suddenly felt her blood boil all of a sudden. " You murdered an old man for this?! You should be ashamed for wearing the coat of arms of the church and speaking in such a manner," Selene growled loudly.

" Oh, speak for yourself. It should be obvious that we don't have any allegiance to the Holy Order. We serve a higher purpose. Funny to think Jacton sent us all here to just take care of you and that alchemist friend of yours," another monk laughed.

" You have already taken Azaroth, and now you decide to kill off an old man because he was just around?! Oh, it's always a higher purpose for you wretched people, as always. But then again, I guess this will ease my job most greatly," Selene snarled, clenching her fists in anger. She was vaguely aware that she was shaking in anger.

" Why would that be?"the first crusader spoke to her sarcastically.

" Because I'm going to kill each and everyone of you!" Selene yelled, snapping.

It was in a flash, but the next instant, Selene had blasted his energies towards one of the priests, blasting him with her Holy Light. The bright explosion of light knocked him back and he crashed down noisily on one of the benches along the church.

The crusaders immediately drew their swords as the monks rushed forward. Selene managed to set up her safety wall just in time before a multitude of punches came towards her direction. A second later, she had reappeared right behind the second priest. It was of importance that she disabled the supporting spellcasters before the fight actually began. Grabbing him from behind, she slipped out one of her knives which Grimjaw had so nicely lent her and sank it deep into the man's neck, and with a satisfying tug, she yanked the knife downwards, ripping the knife through the man's neck. It was pretty obvious that he wouldn't have survived the blow as he slumped down on the floor, bleeding to death. The rest of them paused for a while totally underestimating the ferocity and brutality being carried out by this priestess.

Selene wasn't too sure what had happened to her. She looked down at herself. Her dress was covered in blood that wasn't hers, and her hands were dripping with crimson fluids. She glanced down at the man she had just killed so mercilessly, and strangely, she didn't feel any remorse for him. It had been a long time since she was bathed in blood that wasn't hers, and somehow, she decided she was going to enjoy the carnage she so wished to lash out upon these people, just like Vermillion always did.

" You murdered my comrades in Morroc, now it is time you pay in kind," Selene snarled.

The rest of them started to charge forward, but where thrown back when a large explosion rocked the place, blowing right in the middle of where they were. Selene looked up to see Teranis standing by the stairway, swinging a bottle in her arms.

" Well now, don't stain your hands any further, Selene. You are a servant of the church, not a murderer of the Holy Order," Teranis chided.

" Took you long enough," Selene chuckled darkly.

Both of them moved in as the rest of the troop got up and ready to attack. Teranis deftly tossed a couple of vials at two crusaders who had charged at her, smashing into their helms, the acid instantly eating away at their armour. As they tried to get their helms off to avoid their face getting burned by the acid, Teranis tossed another bottle at him, this time the cork lighted with a small flame. The liquid ignited immediately, setting the crusader which she had doused with the liquid on fire.

Selene backed off, casting as many protective spells as she could with the short timespan she had before one of the monks reached her. Increasing her agility, she felt light-footed all of a sudden. She swiftly dodged a blow by one of the monks and kicked him aside, knocking him down, blasting another away with another Holy Light spell.

Another loud explosion rocked the place as Teranis threw another explosive vial of hers, although she quietly apologised to God for desecrating his holy sanctuary in such a fashion. The blast threw two crusaders back, their heavy armour absorbing most of the damage, which would have killed them. However, through the smoke, one of the monks leaped at her. She raised another vial to throw to him, but he managed to knock it out of the way, dropping it to the floor. Teranis raised her hand to block the blow that was coming, but there was a flash of light and she felt blood splatter all over her face.

" Selene!" Teranis exclaimed loudly.

Seeing her friend in trouble, Selene had teleported herself right in front of her friend, taking the blow in her place. The sharp ends of the knuckle weapon slammed into her shoulder, and blood splattered backward on Teranis's face. Selene winced slightly in pain as she was hit, gritting her teeth in pain. The monk pulled back his arm, ready for the second blow as Selene prepared an offensive spells fast as she could, but the strike didn't come. She saw a katar and a Stiletto pressed against the throat of the monk.

" Lay your hands off the priestess," Grimjaw growled loudly. With one swift motion, the katar and the knife ran themselves through the neck of the monk, ripping the muscles apart, killing him instantly. There was a look of surprise on his face as his head came off, the arteries of his neck spurting out blood like a fountain.

The Stiletto belonged to Grimjaw, but the katar belonged to an assassin Selene had remembered was with Tryzen on the day she warped them out of the prison area on Azaroth's second escape attempt. Selene wasn't too sure what to say at the moment, seeing two newcomers coming to save her.

" Are you alright?" Grimjaw asked politely.

" Tryzen sends his regards, priestess. He has something worthy to show," the assassin replied.

" Why are you here?!" Teranis exclaimed.

" Because I doubt you ladies can defend yourselves properly without a charismatic person like me," Grimjaw laughed.

" I said Tryzen has something to show you," the assassin replied, repeating himself because Teranis question could have applied to either of them.

" Strange to see you here, Krayken. What brings you so far from your guild headquarters in Morroc?" Grimjaw jokingly asked.

" Same thing that brought you here, presumably," Krayken answered passively.

" You know each other?" Selene asked.

" Know each other? We have practically attempted to kill each other on 3 occasions and failed to do so. Strange to see us here actually working together," Grimjaw laughed.

" If you wish to do anything funny later, I can arrange that, but now, I have a score to settle," Krayken answered.

" Well said, Krayken, this is probably the first time we have ever agreed on anything at all. And I have a score to settle as well, and I think I'm not going to stop until I satisfyingly watch all of their hearts stop beating when I rip them out of their cavities," Grimjaw snarled menacingly, his maniacal expression now surrounding his face as he laughed at his opponents. The remaining members backed off slightly, a little scared of Grimjaw's expression.

" Grimjaw..." Selene started, panting slightly.

" Forgive me, priestess, I was not myself at the moment. You are right, I shouldn't desecrate the house of God. I apologise for I'm not religious myself..." Grimjaw apologised mockingly.

" No, Grimjaw, I want you to kill them all painfully," Selene replied without skipping a beat.

The three of them turned around to look at her, totally taken aback that a priestess herself would say such words. After a while, Grimjaw composed himself. " You heard the woman. Let's kill them all!"

Both Krayken and Grimjaw dashed at their enemies at speeds only people of the assassin and rogue classes could attain. They swooped through two crusaders and sank their blades upon one of the monks, attacking simultaneously. They ripped out their blades to parry the attacks of the remaining crusaders. One of the monks tried to attack them, but Teranis managed to throw another vial at him. The small glass container broke, and the acid started to eat away at the metal weapon he had. Taking the advantage, Grimjaw kicked the crusader he was engaging aside, shoving him back by pushing against his shield and went up to the monk whose weapon Teranis had destroyed, sinking his blade into his gut before Krayken decapitated him a second later.

" My, this is certainly a lot of fun!" Grimjaw laughed, painting the floors red as he pulled out his blades roughly, disemboweling his opponent with glee.

The rest of them decided that they had enough, and made for the door, but Selene had gotten there before them, slamming it shut. It didn't take too long for Grimjaw and Krayken to work simultaneously to kill of the others. By the end of it, there were 8 bodies littered all over the place, their blood and guts lying all over the place. Grimjaw sat down on one of the seats in the pew and started laughing heartily, as if he had just had the time of his life.

" My, he lives on senseless violence, doesn't he?" Teranis remarked.

" Don't blame him. He has been brought up that way," Selene replied, healing her wound.

" I find it strange that he could raise a sister like Meillienne," Teranis replied.

" Then perhaps, there is still something human left in him," Selene answered, walking up to him and Krayken, who was seated not too far away. Both of them turned to look at the two approaching women. Selene bowed gracefully at them, saying " Thank you for saving us."

" Don't mention it, I'm merely repaying my debt," Grimjaw replied, blushing slightly. " Are you sure God won't be mad at me for killing a bunch of people here?"

" If he understood the circumstances, I'm sure he would forgive you for such an act," Selene answered.

" Would he?" Teranis mused, sighing.

" I would," Selene replied.

" Forgive my earlier..."

" Grimjaw, I said I forgive you," Selene repeated, raising her voice to cut him off.

" But I..."

Selene surprised everyone when she slapped him hard, the palm of her hand swinging in a nice arc and slapping it self against his left cheek, keeping his mouth shut. Grimjaw wasn't too sure what to say. " I have already said I have forgiven you. Now can you forgive yourself?" Selene interrupted him.

Grimjaw touched the place where he had been hit, his cheek slightly numb. " I think I'm love with a woman from the church..." he replied, chuckling at his own joke.

" Priestess..."

" Forgive me, Krayken. What was it that Tryzen wanted to show us?!" Selene apologised, realising that Krayken was also there.

" Cardinal Crenarius's grave. It contains something interesting inside. It would be best for you to see it," Krayken replied. Selene and Teranis looked at each other, not too sure where this was heading, but Tryzen had probably unearthed something interesting. She nodded towards Krayken, and they started to leave the church. However, it looks like Grimjaw wasn't following them.

" Hey, Grimjaw, why aren't you coming?!" Teranis shot back, seeing him still by the pew when the four of them were already at the front entrance of the church, ready to leave.

" I have something to take care of," Grimjaw replied, getting off from his seat.

" And what in the world would that be?"

" Vermillion has already headed towards the monastery by herself, and she plans to kill all three cardinals before the day is over," Grimjaw answered.

-

Vermillion barged through the rather empty streets, looking warily around. The people around her shot her curious glances, wondering what she was up to right now. Se paid them no heed and continued towards her destination, the monastery.

" Just you wait, you bloody cardinals. I'll kill you all. I'll murder you all...hmm, perhaps I'll kill that fucking High Priest Jacton as well...but I wonder how would I do that...no matter, when the time comes, I'll think of something when the time comes..." Vermillion muttered darkly to himself.

She looked around, trying to keep an eye out for Grimjaw. He had promised to meet up with her after he had checked on Selene and Teranis, who was an alchemist friend of Selene, were alright. Vermillion wondered what was up with Grimjaw, saying he was going to check on her like he cared for her. Perhaps he did.

She thought of him as a strange rogue. He was, in a way, like her: bloodthirsty, spiteful, sarcastic, although in no way as impatient or loud as she was, but they do seem to share the same interests. However, he seemed very well brought up for a rogue of his kind, and the way he held his value intrigued her.

" I think you saw a lot of things in him, didn't you Azaroth?" Vermillion mumbled to herself, smiling.

She had now reached the entrance of the monastery, and she was ready. If Grimjaw wasn't here, then she will have to start having fun without him for the moment.

With a violent blast, she blew the door open with her Raging Quadruple Blow. He door blew open, sending splinters all over the place. She wasn't sure why she wasted such energy on a simple door, but she later placed it down to just wanting to vent her frustration on something, as as Selene had always told her, it was best to to it on something inanimate.

Her entrance was grant enough to attract the attention of the people around the area. Most of the acolytes around the area backed off, knowing full well how dangerous a pissed Vermillion could be, and right now, she looked really pissed.

Some of the priests and monks in the area rushed out, forming a semi-circle around her. One of them yelled " Vermillion, are you out of your mind?! Stop this nonsense and turn yourself in!"

" I'm here to kill Cardinal Martrian, Cardinal Selaindria and Cardinal Maginus, and I will not stop until all of them are dead. Now, don't you dare stand in my way, for I will not guarantee your life if you dare block me," Vermillion snarled. All of them looked at her, surprised.

" Let the culling begin!" Vermillion howled, dashing through in a flash.


	33. Chapter 32: Violent Showdown

**Chapter 32: Violent Showdown**

Vermillion slipped through the small guard force that was blocking her way. Having been seriously injured yesterday, she wasn't in her best to face them, but then again, a burning desire fueled her within the inside. This time, she decided to fight wisely. She had to last long enough until all these people who are involved were dead.

She violently knocked one of the priests aside as he stood in her way. She dashed down the corridor. Most of the younger acolytes were too afraid to stand up to her, to they merely shrunk aside to let her pass. _Smart little children..._Vermillion thought, spinning around the corridor.

" Halt, foolish woman! You shall go no further!" a loud voice bellowed.

Vermillion skidded to a halt along the stone floor of the monastery when she heard the voice, turning around to look at the left wing stairway that lead to the higher levels of the place. Coming down was High Priest Jacton, slowly walking down the steps. Vermillion grinned at him, happy to see one of her prey had decided to show up.

" Perfect, I don't need to look for you then!" Vermillion exclaimed, spinning upon her feet.

" This ends here. People of the Holy Order, seize her immediately!" he ordered. In an instant, two priests appeared by her side and pinned her down, slamming her down on the floor. Vermillion groaned as she felt people pressing her down.

" Fuck you! Leave me alone, he is mine!" Vermillion roared, and with an insane burst of strength, threw everyone who had pinned her down aside with a burst of strength. She felt all the spells start to hit her, and her movements started to slow considerably. More people started to pile upon upon her, and soon enough, she found herself unable to throw more than eight people off her who were pinning her down.

" Argh! Let me go you idiots! I want to kill him! I want to kill him!" Vermillion screamed.

" I have no time to waste with petty criminals such as you. Take her away and lock her up," Jacton ordered as he turned around to walk away.

" Not so fast!" a voice called out.

Everyone turned around to see a cloaked figure hanging from one of the chandeliers of the monastery, glaring down at them with his dark blue eyes. Nobody had any idea how he got in or how he had appeared over there. He pointed his finger at them before speaking in a booming voice.

" You shall release her immediately. Our aim is High Priest Jacton, and we won't take no for an answer! Release her, or you will pay for your stupidity!" he replied. Vermillion didn't need to guess who this guy was. It was totally obvious it was Grimjaw. She smiled to herself. _So, he came after all..._she thought.

" Oh, another fine character...and what makes you think you have the authority to order us around?" High Priest Jacton bellowed.

" Oh, this..." he replied, snapping his fingers twice. " Come out, my lovelies..."

Out from one of the rooms, three female acolytes appeared. They stared at everyone with blank expressions, looking about. Everyone wasn't sure what they were doing there, even Vermillion, who looked at Grimjaw curiously.

" Well, I've nicely taken these ladies along, and they have been quite some company. It'll be a pity to lose them, don't you think?" Grimjaw replied.

" What the hell do you think you are doing?" one of the priests replied. " Soreen, Alreen, and...um, the new girl, snap out of it!" he continued, recognising two of them but not the third.

" Well, perhaps I should show a demonstration of my power. Girls, take out your knives," Grimjaw replied, snapping his fingers. The three acolytes took out a knife each from their packs, and there was a collective gasp from the audience present. " Press them against your necks," Grimjaw replied, snapping his fingers. There were screams as the three acolytes suddenly raised their knives to their necks.

" You barbaric fiend, how dare you..."

" I have a proposal for you: We wish to kill certain people. Release Vermillion, and let us fight Jacton. When we are done, I'll release them. You have my word," Grimjaw said. All of them looked around, wondering what to do. Clearly, the three acolytes were possessed, for they wouldn't act in such a way. They seem to be conversing with one another, although their knives were still pressed against their necks.

Vermillion knew what Grimjaw was playing at: morals. If Jacton gave in, they would get to eliminate him. If he refused, then the rest of them might doubt his values in trying to keep three innocent acolytes alive. Vermillion loved the plan. Problem was, she wasn't sure how Grimjaw managed to coax the three acolytes into working with them.

" Fine, stand down," Jacton replied, giving in. Vermillion figured he would have to take that action anyway. A man of the church wouldn't want three acolytes dying. He probably had no problems personally, but then he had an image to keep.

The people who were pinning her down stood up and backed off. Vermillion got to her feet, brushing off the dust from her body as Grimjaw leaped off from the chandelier and landed perfectly next to her. " Took you long enough," Vermillion scowled good-naturedly.

" Ah, well, I needed some people to take as 'hostages'," he said, winking slightly under the hood.

" I see. How did you come up with that?" Vermillion asked.

" Long story..." he replied.

" Fine, we can talk when we are finished with things here," Vermillion said, raising her fists, ready to face Jacton.

---

" I'm sorry to drag you into this mess," Meillienne whispered to the other acolytes who were standing next to her, holding their knives respectively at their throats. She really sounded apologetic, and she bit her lip for an added effect.

" That's not a problem. I'm just following Selene's orders. By the way, you seem new here. What's your name? My name is Soreen Evanyse, and this is my younger sister, Alreen," Soreen replied.

" My name is Meillienne Windwalker. I just joined recently, about a couple of days back," Meillienne answered warmly.

" Are they going to kill Jacton?" Alreen asked, shivering.

" Yes, they are. He is a criminal after all," Meillienne answered calmly.

" I wouldn't know about that, but then again, I believe Selene has her reasons for asking us to help out in this. You shouldn't have come if you were scared to do this you know," Soreen said softly.

" I couldn't let you come by yourself. It's dangerous business you know. In fact, you shouldn't be here. You've got Maycron to consider," Alreen remarked.

" Ah, well then, I'm not going to die here anyway..." Soreen laughed quietly.

" Who's this Maycron?"Meillienne asked curiously.

" Ah, well...he's a boyfriend of mine. He's an acolyte was well, but he mainly works in the army. We recently got engaged and we...um, I'll leave it at that," Soreen said, blushing slightly.

" Hmm, looks they are fighting already..." Meillienne noted.

Both Vermillion and Grimjaw gave loud yells as they dashed towards Jacton. However, as soon as they almost reached him, he disappeared in a flash of light. Spinning around, they spotted him appear right behind them, his arms raised. Both of them leaped backwards to gain some distance, but Jacton merely completed a defensive spell, a figure of an angel appearing right above him for a second before bursting into bright white light. Grimjaw and Vermillion paused for a while, contemplating how to deal with this High Priest, but Jacton merely prepared another another defensive spell, this time a large purple wall with crackling energy appeared before him.

" We need to strike hard and fast, if not he'll have too many defensive spells up until we can't break through," Grimjaw replied, flicking out several knives, three in each hand.

" Awesome, I like the way you think, brute tactics! I'll go first, back me up!" Vermillion exclaimed, dashing forward, her fists drawn back to strike. Grimjaw flung his knives in Jacton's direction, and they bounced harmlessly off the safety wall, as expected. Jacton casted a Holy Light spell as he raised his hands. Vermillion saw it just in time, and leaped aside just in time as a flash of bright light exploded right where she stood a second ago. She hit the side of the wall, and after a few steps running horizontally along the wall using momentum to propel her forward, she kicked off and leaped at Jacton.

He did a quick sidestep, flinching slightly as another of Grimjaw's knives missed his head by a fraction. Vermillion immediately recovered her footing as she landed hard on the ground, ignoring the stinging pain she felt as she dropped to the ground and ran towards Jacton. Jacton had another Holy Light spell in his hand, which he raised towards her face. Vermillion missed the spell by sheer luck as a knife flew in her direction, cutting her cheek and causing her to lose her balance and fall down on the floor, skidding as the spell went off above her head.

Grimjaw gave a loud cry as he came up, his knife flying forward, only to meet with resistance as another safety wall sprung up. Grimjaw tried to move around the safety wall, but Jacton merely circled around it as Grimjaw felt his movements slow down significantly all of a sudden. He managed to dodge two spells as Jacton teleported a distance away just as Vermillion threw a kick in frustration in his direction, appearing several meters away from them.

" For people who truly intend to take my life, your attempts are pathetic," Jacton laughed.

" Why you..." Vermillion exclaimed, about to rush forward when Grimjaw held her back. " What?!"

" No need to rush, we can take our time," Grimjaw advised her. " Here's an idea, let's move together, I'll take the point this time, you back me up."

Before she could reply, Grimjaw threw his cloak off him, and as it fell, he disappeared. Catching his drift, she tore after Jacton again, running at him before the cloak he had even fell to the floor.

Seeing Grimjaw's act, Jacton activated his Ruwatch spell, and a light blue sphere started to circle around him. The light sphere didn't bother Vermillion much, and she merely barged through the Ruwatch spell, her body passing the spell harmlessly. She punched him hard, but the array of spells he had set up were more than enough to absorb most of the damage. However, he gave a loud cry of pain as something landed on his back. Vermillion looked up in surprise to see Grimjaw having landed on his back, two of his knives stuck deep into his back.

" No...you...can't...it...should...have..." Jacton gasped, coughing out blood violently, his eyes widening is recognition as he recognised Grimjaw's face, now no longer hidden under the hood of the cloak he was wearing.

" Oh, do you think I would have stayed 'hidden' knowing the spell you had placed up. You underestimated me, you fool!" Grimjaw snarled angrily. " This is for Azaroth!" With that, Grimjaw ripped the High Priest's body apart like it was a piece of paper, his body coming apart as the metal blades tore through his internal organs before coming apart. The audience present watched in horror at the gruesome death. And to add to the humiliation, Grimjaw took up one of his knives that was on the floor and decapitated Jacton before sticking the blade into his severed head, tossing it aside like some doll.

" You...despicable..." one of the priests growled.

" Not as despicable as he is, I can assure you that much..." Grimjaw replied, wiping the blood off his face as Vermillion squatted down next to his head, looking displeased.

" You know, I wanted to kill him off," Vermillion replied.

" My bad...he owed me that much..." Grimjaw replied, scratching his head.

Vermillion then picked up the head and tossed it out the window, laughing maniacally to everyone's horror. " Take that you fucking piece of shit! That's for taking Serene away, you bastard!" Vermillion yelled.

There was suddenly a flash of light, then several cries of female voices. Grimjaw and Vermillion spun around to see a number of priests having surrounded and grabbed hold of Meillienne, Soreen and Alreen, pulling their knives away and pinning them to the ground. " We have restrained them, get them now!" one of the priests exclaimed.

" Whoops, looks like we need to leave for a while," Grimjaw replied.

However, the door burst open all of a sudden, followed by a gust of wind. Everyone spun around to see a large carriage being pulled in by two Peco Pecos enter the hallway, lead by none other than Priestess Selene herself. Right with her was a wizard, an alchemist, an assassin, and several people she seemed to have managed to gather at that precise moment.

" Stop this nonsense at once!" Her voice boomed throughout the entire area.

" You say it, girl," Teranis mockingly cheered her on.

" Selene, what's the..."

" Get Cardinal Martrian, Cardinal Selaindria and Cardinal Maginus out now! We have something for them to see, and for the rest of you! All of you, come to the hall now! Teranis, Tryzen, be nice enough to follow some of them to fetch the Cardinals, to make sure they don't leave," Selene ordered, looking at the two of them. Both of them nodded and hopped off, heading towards the stairs.

" Selene, what's..."

" Now!" she bellowed so loudly the monk who had questioned her seemed to shrink.

---

" Now, I hope you can explain yourselves, or else we will arrest all of you for being such impudent fools," Cardinal Martrian replied.

Selene wondered if it was a threat of some sort, if so, she wasn't intimidated. They had now gathered around the main hall, pushing all the tables and chairs aside to make way for the people who had gathered in the room. A number of priests and monks lines up the side of the room, looking curiously at the procession. Selene glared at all of them, looking at their faces. The three Cardinals had gathered in the room as asked.

" We are here today to show that these three people are frauds, and are nothing but demons in disguise. These three Cardinals have been hiding among our ranks when they shouldn't even be here. Not only that, they have framed an innocent man, Azaroth Crimson, and intentionally sent him to his death!" Selene replied.

" What preposterous notion is that!? We don't have time for this! All of you, seize them!" Cardinal Selaindria exclaimed.

" Well, I would like to ask all of you to refrain yourself for a while, as we have an explanation for this, I'm sure of it. Now, what's the difference in catching us now, or catching us 5 minutes later? I'm sure you all are interested in what we have brought here...oh goodie, a coffin, wonder who's inside?" Tryzen mockingly said, pulling out a large marble coffin with the help of Krayken, yanked it out from the back of the carriage which they had conveniently brought into the hall.

" You foul bastards! You dare dig up a respected man's grave!" Cardinal Maginus yelled, but Tryzen and Krayken paid no heed to him as they yanked it out, dropping it to the floor. The coffin hit the floor with a resounding crack, and the coffin broke apart from falling at a height, the side cracking up and its contents spilling on the floor.

There was a collective intake of breath as the contents spilled out. Tryzen calmly walked up to the broken coffin and took up the skull that had rolled out of the coffin. It was unlike any human skull. Sure, it did have human shape in general, but the proportions of the face was definitely not human, especially the fangs it had.

" Well now, isn't this strange, I'm sure in the report on Cardinal Crenarius was supposedly ripped shreds, until the biggest piece of him left was a slab of meat. I'm sure his skull wasn't intact, nor were his other bones," Tryzen replied, kicking the rest of the bones that had split on the floor. " Care to explain why his bones are intact?"

" Also, it doesn't explain why the Cardinal had fangs. Strange, no?" Teranis replied. " Give them a demonstration, Blitz."

Tryzen suddenly light the skull aflame. Everyone gasped as they saw the burning skull, like some omen of bad fortune as the thing started to burn like the skull of the devil. " As you all know, demon skulls are pretty resilient to fire. Note that its quite fine, this skull that is," he replied.

" The devil's work..." Cardinal Maginus replied.

" Indeed it is, and the devils are none other than the three of you," Selene replied.

" What are you talking about?"

" It was the three of you who organised the investigation of Cardinal Crenarius's death. It was obvious from what you all had stated that he didn't die as he was supposed to. You ordered Jacton to carry out the investigation, and yes, surprisingly, you picked on some random person who lived in the outer villages. It's obvious that the three of you lied about his death, not only that, tried to keep it a secret that Cardinal Crenarius was actually a demon in disguise. If you had lied about his death, then why should we believe that Azaroth killed him in the first place? You have lied to us from the start, not to mention that you three are demons!" Selene exclaimed.

The three Cardinals looked at them, then looked at each other before laughing out loud together. Everyone looked at them, wondering what was wrong. " Um, did we hit a snag of some sort?" Teranis asked quietly. It was Cardinal Selaindria who spoke first.

" I must say that this is an unexpected turn of events. Now, you cannot hold us accountable for what is inside that coffin now, can you? After all, you might have plenty of time to alter its contents..."

" We all saw..."

" You all are accomplices, so who can say who is right? You are correct in saying that we are the ones in charge of the Cardinal's case, but then, who is to say you didn't switch his bones with these skulls you might have picked up in Glasthelm. Also, you say we are demons? Allow us to prove ourselves," Cardinal Maginus replied.

They all formed a small circle of three people, and all three of them took out a small vial of water from their pockets. From the looks of the contents, Selene had to agree full heartedly that they contained Holy water. They then poured them on each other. Nothing happened, which was a bit unexpected.

" Hey, aren't they supposed to burn or something when they do that?" Teranis asked, sounding worried.

" Yes indeed, we are supposed to burn, if we were indeed demons, and thus, it proves you wrong," Cardinal Martrian replied confidently. " This is an unexpected turn of events, and you have shamed us all in the name of the Holy Order, Priestess Selene. Now, if you are not going to bother us with anymore useless prattle of yours, I would like to ask all the people here to arrest these heretics!" Cardinal Selaindria declared.

" I'm not a heretic, you bastard!" Vermillion exclaimed, shaking her fists at him, but Grimjaw pulled her back. However, some of the priests and monks had gotten up and head towards them, although some seem hesitant.

" Any more ideas, Blitz?" Teranis asked.

" Yes, in fact I do, but it might involve a couple of dead priests, and I'm sure that Selene isn't going to like that," Tryzen replied, bracing himself as he prepared a spell at hand, although he had no intention of blowing a couple of innocent priests out of the way.

" Cardinals, allow me to handle this situation," a deep female voice exclaimed all of a sudden. Selene spun around only to see Melanie in the crowd, walking past the Cardinals towards her. She drew out her sword and shield, and she was smirking at all of them.

" Ah, Melanie, you were here. Excellent. Please deal with these criminals," Cardinal Selaindria replied.

" I shall," Melanie said. " Don't worry, Sis, I'll take care of everything."

With one deft flick of her arm, she swung her sword powerfully against one of the cardinals, almost managing to cut his arm off. There was a loud yell of pain, and the splatter of black blood all over the stone floor. Melanie flung a bottle in their direction, and when it hit the cardinal and shattered, the liquid started to burn painfully as smoke rose from the wound. Moreover, the wound started to expend, and the skin of the cardinal started peel off, revealing dark, scaly skin beneath, like those of a lizard.

" You burn now!" Melanie exclaimed. " People of the Holy Order, you all have been deceived by these men, do not think of them as weak, old men! You have now seen their true colours!"

" Melanie!" Selene exclaimed, seeing what her friend had done.

" I'm sorry, Sis, for not believing you earlier. Can you ever find the heart to forgive me?" Melanie asked, showing a pitiful face. Selene looked at her in disbelief, not really sure that Melanie was actually doing this, before giving out a short laugh.

" Damned crusader, you will pay for this!" the Cardinal exclaimed, but it was no longer the voice of the cardinal they knew. It was deep and harsh.

All three of the cardinals started to change at once. Their skin broke off, like they were shedding skin like a snake, bursting out of their cover. Large bodies emerged from the small frail bodies of the three old men, and now, ten feet tall humanoid lizards stood before them, their faces etched with demonic expressions. They gave shrill cries, and some of the people in the room screamed in terror.

" So, this is your true form, is it? I'm going to kill all three of you for what you did to my comrades," Melanie snarled.

" Silence, we shall kill all of you!" they exclaimed.

Everything happened almost at once. Tryzen blasted the area with thunder, the blasts shattering the floor all over as they struck the monsters. One of the lizards fired bolts of red lightning from its tips, and Selene managed to set up a safety wall just in time before it hit a couple of acolytes, the spell shattering the instant the red lightning hit it. Grimjaw, Vermillion and Krayken all drew their weapons and leaped into the fray, a few monks joining them. One blasted Melanie with a bolt of crimson energy, which blew her shield which she used to block the blast aside, before smashing her to the floor. The lizard who had hit Melanie to the ground raised its arm, ready to crush her prone body as Selene ran up to her screaming as she prepared a spell in her hand. The hand fell down, not before there was a flash of purple energy somewhere, followed by the noise of rushing wind, and another howl of pain. Everyone almost skidded to a halt when the arm that was about to crush Melanie was suddenly cut off its joint, and it landed with a thud right in front of Grimjaw, Krayken and Vermillion, who all stopped in time before it dropped on them.

A bright purple flare erupted right in the middle of the room, and a figure stepped out of it. It was a familiar figure, but nobody had expected him to walk out of the warp portal, as if it were a direct pathway from heaven, or hell, depending on your view.

" Hello people...what did I miss?" Azaroth asked cheerfully, his Tsurugi and Haehonggum his hands.

_Writer's note: Yeah, explanations will come in the following chapter..._


	34. Chapter 33: One Last Reminder

**Chapter 33: One Last Reminder**

As Azaroth opened his eyes, he was quite sure he was in heaven at that time. After all the horrible things he had heard about how hell was supposed to feel like, feeling rather drowsy and light headed shouldn't be what he should expect if his soul went down to hell. So, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was that he was lying on his side, watching a fire burn from some distance. It reminded him of hell, except it was too far away and there were a couple of people around, not to mention it looked like he was still in Prontera.

" Where the hell am I?" he asked, although the voice that greeted his ears sounded awful, like he had lost the ability to speak, as his voice came out in some weird garble. " Why does my voice sound like crap?" he tried again, only to sound really silly.

Azaroth took one look around the place. He seemed to be located in a large square somewhere, having been obviously moved from the execution stage. " Hang on a minute!" he exclaimed to himself. " If I had been executed, why the hell am I still doing here, lying on the floor?"

If someone did resurrect him, it was a very funny feeling, since it didn't feel like he was alive. He tried to pick himself up, but then again, he found that he could not do so, as he had lost his senses to his lower body. The only thing he could feel was his head, and when he looked down, he understood why.

He apparently had been beheaded, and right now, he couldn't see his body below him. All that was left of him was his head, and it was lying on the floor, bleeding from the stump. So Azaroth now found himself lying on the floor, bodiless with his brain still miraculously functioning somehow, allowing him to see, hear, smell taste and feel the world with what was left of his head. It was pretty scary, so he did the only logical thing anyone would do: he screamed.

His voice didn't go unheard, and the two people who were tending to the fire just now had now spun around from the noise the head was making. They saw a head on the floor screaming in a voice that wasn't human, and the next second, they screamed in terror as well, feeling that dark magic was involved. They would have ran away if not for the approaching figure that came up behind them and blasted them aside with crimson bolts, slamming their hapless bodies onto a nearby wall. From the way their heads were placed as they lay motionless on the ground, Azaroth could very well confirm they were dead, although that was hard to tell right now, since he was merely a head and he still had his senses.

The figure came up and picked him up gingerly, using both her hands. Azaroth took one good look at her, and recognized her instantly.

" You!" he exclaimed in some garbled voice.

" Yes, it's me," Tyranus replied, giving him a winsome smile. " If you are wondering why your voice sounds real funny, that's because your vocal cords have been cut in half, and thus you are unable to speak properly. Also, the lack of lungs to supply air to your mouth might be a cause of that as well."

She walked along and picked up the two men who lay dead on the street. With strength Azaroth would not even imagine coming from a female her size, she dragged the two bodies along with one hand while she cradled Azaroth, or to be more specific, his head, in her other arm.

" You must have some questions, I'm not surprised. Well, I'll explain things to you then," Tyranus replied as she dragged the bodies along. Azaroth felt really unnatural, a head being cradled in her arms. He could feel the warmth of her body as she pressed herself against his face.

" You are dead, or in a technical sense anyway. You are nothing more than a head now, and make no mistake, the executioner did cut your head off, and a multitude of people, including Vermillion and Serene, saw your nice little head pop off and roll over the floor," Tyranus replied, although Azaroth's mind went blank for a second when she mentioned the two of them. _What were they doing here?_ Azaroth thought.

" Wonder why you still 'feel' alive even without your body? Simple. I cast a spell to infuse your soul into your head, and also to keep it there. You are not in a sense alive, since my spell is just forcing your soul to reside in a mere vessel of a head, but then again I can't exactly put you any where else. Why can't I resurrect you, you may ask? Well, I could, but it's beyond my means right now, not to mention they had burnt your body. Lucky they decided to throw your head in the fire last, if not you'd really be dead," Tyranus continued. Azaroth didn't understand. If his body was no longer here, there was no way in hell he could ever resurrect him back, even if they did attempt to, so why was Tyranus even bothering with him?

She walked up to a nearby warehouse, the streets now quiet and empty, save for a few stray animals. Knocking on the door, a female voice called out " I'll be there in a minute…" before several footsteps could be heard. Tyranus dropped her grip on the two dead bodies she had dragged along, her free arm now cracking with crimson energy. Azaroth realized what she was planning, but Tyranus realized what Azaroth would be doing even faster, and covered his mouth with her hands before he could shout. The door opened, there was a flash of bright crimson light, and a young maiden lay dead in front of the door.

" Don't make a fuss, Azaroth. I need them to get you back anyway, so don't complain, alright?" Tyranus replied, dragging the dead bodies inside. Azaroth wasn't too sure what to say, whether he would want to allow Tyranus to kill other people for his sake.

" Excellent, this should be large enough," Tyranus replied, making some space in the empty floor in front of them. She piled up the bodies by the corner, then gave them a quiet look. " Hmm," she said, before placing Azaroth's head gently by the side on one of the large shipment boxes. " There isn't enough blood. I'll go get one more person."

Azaroth didn't argue this time as Tyranus went out to get another 'kill'. She didn't go far, no sooner than she had stepped out of the warehouse Azaroth heard a woman's voice, which was shortly followed by a thump, as if she had fallen down. Seconds later, Tyranus was seen dragging the body inside, grinning to herself. " Lucky, didn't need to go far…" she laughed.

She then started to take off their clothes, and then by using some ropes, hung them by the feet from the ceiling so that they hung by the wall. She then pushed a large feeding bin she found on the outside under the hanging corpses. Muttering a spell, Azaroth noticed the wall behind where she had hung the bodies starting to distort into a dark colour. A second later, sharp spikes sprung out, piercing the helpless bodies, their blood spilling into the feeding bin.

" That should take some time…now, where were we?" Tyranus casually replied, as if she had just finished milking a cow. " Ah yes, you might be wondering what happened to me, right? Well, the Cardinals probably think that they nailed me, but then again, they don't know I'm quasi-immortal, so I got back to my feet, but by that time, you're friends were long gone, probably hading back to Prontera to save your ass, but then again, they were too late, I guess."

" So, what are you going to do now? You are considered dead by the Cardinals and those around you, so it can be safe to say you can hide yourself in the forest and all that. Perhaps you should, but then again, I have a much better idea. Why don't we kill those bastards, eh?" Tyranus replied. " Oh. I forgot, you can't talk. Blink once to say yes, blink twice to say no."

Azaroth didn't answer.

" No idea…hmm, well why not then? Keeping my cover is of no priority right now, they know who I am and what I'm doing against them, so I don't mind facing them. My identity will come out soon enough, either to them or to the Pronteran army. How about it? Wanna go kill them?" Tyranus asked, licking her lips. Azaroth raised his eyebrows.

" Why? I dunno, don't you just hate them for doing this shit on you? Don't you just want to murder them? Perhaps you aren't as murderous or crazy as I am, or that monk friend of yours," Tyranus replied. " Perhaps I can convince you otherwise. Do you know Serene, your elf friend? She's dead."

Azaroth was quite sure he heard her wrongly, or this was one of her dark sarcastic jokes.

" I'm not lying. She was murdered in the streets, stabbed by a couple of Injustices controlled by the Cardinals. They will want to wipe out any trace of your friends now, and they have already started. Vermillion managed to save herself, along with some help from some rogue she met up with. Are you now telling me you don't want to kill them? I can help you do that, in fact, I want to help you do that," Tyranus suggested, sounding rather excited, as if she had wet herself.

Azaroth looked confused. Serene, dead? It was almost hard to believe. If she had not followed him back her with Vermillion, she might have stood a chance. If anything, Azaroth blamed himself for it. But then again, there was only one thing left to do. He looked resolutely at Tyranus and blinked once.

Tyranus jumped up and clapped her hand cheerfully like some excited child, smiling playfully. " Brilliant, I know we are so going to love killing them…well, I know I will. First of all I must apologise for not killing those bastards earlier, I so wanted to keep my identity a secret from people, you know, but then again I was charged with overseeing you," Tyranus apologized. Azaroth didn't know whether she sounded sorry or not, and he wasn't too sure why she was actually apologizing to him. She got up and picked his head up, caressing it nicely as if it were a soft, silky fur coat.

" Come to look at it, you look pretty good yourself. I'd like to have you if the circumstances weren't this bad…" Tyranus replied, kissing him on the cheek. Azaroth recoiled in slight disgust. " Hmm, maybe I'll play with you now since you are incapable of doing anything…but then again, I don't want to get in your bad books…perhaps I'm already am."

" Hmm, I should have enough blood now…" Tyranus replied, placing back his head where she had originally placed it and walked to the feeding bin, which was quite full with blood. Dragging it aside, she pulled it towards the middle of the warehouse. She dipped her finger in the feeding bin, and with the blood on her fingers, started to draw a pattern on the floor.

" This will take some time, Azy…why don't you go to sleep?" Tyranus suggested. Azaroth wasn't sure about that, but then after waiting for one hour and seeing that she had drawn a pattern on the floor no bigger than his body, he had lost interest when it looked like she was nowhere near completion. He closed his eyes and found it surprising that he could even fall asleep.

He was awoken suddenly when he felt Tyranus pick him up, and he opened his eyes immediately. Tyranus had finished her work, and now, there was a large circle in the middle of the warehouse that was about 60 feet in diameter. The entire circle was now covered in runes of intricate shapes ad sizes, and Azaroth was quite surprised that Tyranus could even remember to draw the entire thing by heart.

All of a sudden, he recognized the seal she had drawn on the floor. It looked quite similar to the one he had seen with his visit to the outer villages with Selene and Serene when they first left off to Prontera. Tyranus seemed to have caught the recognition in his eyes, and then replied " Just to let you know, I didn't put that seal there. Somebody else did it."

Somebody else? Tyranus didn't mention the Cardinals, so it was not likely them, but then again, she didn't seem very evasive from the question, which probably stated somebody on her side did it. Tyranus also said she served some 'higher purpose', probably some organization of some sort. Azaroth wondered if there were actually more than one necromancers playing the show.

Azaroth also noted she looked a bit tired, but he didn't question her. She placed him in the middle of the circle, and she walked to the edge of the circle and sat down, cross-legged. She muttered something under her breath. The blood runes started to glow all of a sudden, and Azaroth felt a tingling sensation all over his body. Tyranus continued with her chanting, the red glow getting even brighter and brighter. Azaroth wasn't sure what she was doing with him, placing him in the middle of the runic circle. His first thought was that she was going to turn him into a zombie, but then again, a zombie comprising of only a head wasn't much to be bothering about.

Tyranus suddenly drew out her knife, still chanting. Azaroth had some vague impression that whatever ritual she was performing, it had something to do with sticking the blade through his head, but he was quite mistaken. Tyranus sank the blade into her shoulder, and with one swift tug, she yanked the blade apart, rending her left arm off its joint. Azaroth wasn't sure whether he was to scream or laugh at the sight.

" Break the essence and share it with this mortal…" she said, this time in words he could understand. His eyes opened wide as he suddenly saw the arm disintegrate all of a sudden, breaking up into small purple specks. The purple specks then flew towards him, and although he couldn't feel it, they were absorbed into his skin. At first, he didn't feel anything, then it started.

He felt a painful jolt where his neck was supposed to be, not unbearably painful, but enough to make him wince. Small organic pieces started to form at the base of his neck, and to his surprise, the part where his neck was supposed to be missing started to grow back. Azaroth got the gist of what she was attempting. He has seen her crazy regenerative properties, and she had somehow infused her ability to his head, forcing him to regenerate his body again. However, she seemed to have transferred this power entirely, since she was still slumped on the ground, clutching her bleeding arm.

" Hmph, don't bother about me. This is more than I can handle," Tyranus bragged, although she looked pretty weak.

The process was slow and painful, unlike anything he had ever imagined. His body started to form back again, and soon enough, he was now a limbless chest. His organs grew back in place, and it was the weirdest sensation ever, like being stitched back together from minute pieces, yet tickling at the same time. After what seemed like an eternity, he was now lying naked on the floor, his body back.

" This is going to hurt a bit…" she said, snapping her fingers. It didn't only hurt as bit, it hurt like hell. Azaroth's body was suddenly riddled with pain, as if a thousand red hot needles had just pierced him all over. The pain was so unbearable he suddenly lost the ability to scream, his body about to burst from the intensity of it. As he felt that he was about to pass out, the pain stopped, and he was lying on the floor, feeling delirious from pain and seeing bright light in his eyes.

" What the fuck was that for?" Azaroth gasped.

" As I said, I only infused your soul back into your head initially, to keep your soul in this world or else it would have passed on to the next world. Thus, with your body complete, I replaced it entirely with your soul. However, it isn't your original body, and also your soul should have been long gone, so there had to be some rejection involved," Tyranus sighed, getting a bit white from the loss of blood from her hand. " Now, I'll take back what's mine, if you don't mind."

She chanted something and snapped her fingers once more. Azaroth saw purple specks emerge from his body, floating up and collecting in a small purple cloud in the sky. They then flew back to Tyranus, who absorbed them. A second later, her hand started to regenerate, and some colour returned to her cheeks.

Azaroth was still a bit dizzy after the spell, and he lay on the floor, panting. However, after a few minutes, he saw Tyranus standing right over him, the bloody knife in which she used to cut off her hand tightly gripped in her fingers. Azaroth knew it was a stupid notion for her to actually kill him right now after bringing him back, but then again his mind couldn't imagine anything else when she descended on him with the knife in her hands.

" Hold still," she said gleefully, grabbing his face and drawing a cut across his cheek. Azaroth then pushed her off.

" What the hell was that for?!" Azaroth exclaimed.

" Wait for a minute, then tell me what you feel," Tyranus replied. Azaroth crossed his arms and waited. After less than a minute had passed, she asked again " Now, Azy, tell me how you feel?"

Azaroth wanted to burst out at her, but then paused. The pain in his cheeks was now gone, and running his hand across he wound, he found out that the wound had somehow sealed itself up and the bleeding had stopped. He ran his finger across the line which she had drawn on his face with knife.

" That was…quick…" Azaroth said.

" A side-effect, I believe," Tyranus replied.

" Side-effect?" Azaroth asked.

" A side-effect of being in contact with the 'essence' I lent you earlier. Some of its effects have lingered around, and the effects are apparently permanent. Well, a little payback for borrowing my powers," Tyranus sighed.

" What?! It's a bloody good effect for a side-effect!" Azaroth exclaimed.

" Not exactly…" Tyranus replied. She took out a small bottle in her hand and poured the transparent liquid in the bottle on his hands. He gave a short yelp of pain as his skin started to sizzle all of a sudden. Nothing serious, but it did hurt a little.

" Oh…I see…it is essentially dark energy, so I can't exactly come into contact with Holy powers, can't I?" Azaroth asked.

" Well, you still could, but let's say when the next time a priests heals you it will hurt when he or she seals up your wounds. Also, any effect spells which they cast on you will burn slightly. However, your regenerative ability is nothing like mine, so don't go losing your limbs, alright. It just heals you at a much accelerated rate like any normal human, but it doesn't allow you to regenerate your limbs like I can, so you still better take care of yourself," Tyranus replied. Azaroth nodded.

Her eyes shifted downwards. " Wow, you look…"

" No fucking comments!" Azaroth exclaimed, as if realizing for the first time that he was naked, his hands immediately covering his 'parts'. Tyranus chuckled and threw him a large cloak she had taken from one of the four people she had 'milked' for blood. Their bodies still lay gruesomely by the wall, most of their blood having dried up and starting to stink the place.

" Why the blood?" Azaroth asked.

" Please, you may not know anything about spellcraft of necromancers, but you must know that we use blood as a medium for our magic, most of the time," Tyranus replied, rummaging through the warehouse. Soon enough, Azaroth was well dressed, having put on a decent shirt and pants. As he was dressing up, Tyranus tossed him something which clattered at his feet. Looking down, he saw two familiar swords, kept in their sheaths.

" I'm surprised a swordsman like you would keep such high grade weapons. Where did you get them from?" Tyranus purred.

" From my mother," Azaroth replied. Seeing Tyranus raising her eyebrows, he continued by saying " It's true. My mother had them. Never asked her where she got them from, and I guess I never will now."

" Don't need to be so defensive, boy…I know, I know," Tyranus replied sarcastically, waving her hand. " Well, Azy, what now?"

" Why do you call me Azy?" Azaroth asked, frowning.

" Isn't that what your friends call you?" Tyranus asked cheekily.

" You are not my friend…" Azaroth said darkly.

" Oh, fine…alright then, fine by me…" Tyranus replied airily.

He sighed deeply, shaking his head. " Fine, can call me whatever you want, I guess that's the least I can do for you anyway," he said. " I have a thing on my mind right now. Can we leave?"

---

Serene slowly opened her eyes, wondering where she was right now. She wasn't on Earth, since her body didn't seem alive, yet this place wasn't really what you could call heaven either, so she wasn't really dead. However, she did see something familiar that was smiling down towards her, and when she saw the face, she smiled.

" Azy…" she called out weakly.

" Hey, Serene, how are you doing?" Azaroth asked.

She raised her hand up weakly, and Azaroth caught it in his hands, holding it there. She could feel the warmth in his hands. _Yes, this is the real thing…_she thought, although she started to think some more._Didn't I die?_

" Azaroth, I thought I'm…"

" Yes, you are," Azaroth answered before she could say the word.

" And are you…"

" Yes, all the same," Azaroth said.

" I'm so sorry…"

" If there is anyone who is supposed to do some apologizing, it should be me, not you. I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess, and I'm sorry I got you…in the position you are," Azaroth replied.

" That's alright…there is no need for apologies…" Serene replied, smiling.

" What would your mother say?"

" I…never considered it…but then again…perhaps…"

" Yes?"

" Could you do me a favour?"

" Anything that I can possibly do?"

" Tell…someone…Vermillion, perhaps…I believe she's still alive…"

" She is, Serene…"

" Tell her to bury my body next to my hometown. The elves will not permit her to enter my village in the Payon forest, but I think they'll allow my body to rest in peace there. Can you tell her?" she asked.

" I don't see why not," Azaroth answered.

" You can?"

" Anything for you, Serene,"

" That's great," Serene replied. Tears would have welled up in her eyes if she had the capability to.

" Azy…"

" Am I really…"

" Yes, unfortunately, you are…"

" Is this heaven?"

" Nope…"

" Then were is this place?"

" It's a bit hard to explain, but its something like…um, the middle between heaven and earth…I think," Azaroth said, scratching his head.

" Will you be joining me there as well?"

" Hmm, how should I say this?...Not now, exactly, but eventually I will. You will wait for me will you?" Azaroth asked.

" Most…certainly…" she replied in a raspy voice.

" I'm sorry, but I need to go now…"

" Azy…"

" Yeah?"

" Before you go…I want …you to do…something for me…"

" Alright, if time permits,"

" Can I… have your… kiss?"

Azaroth seemed to have heard wrongly. " What?"

" A kiss…Azaroth…I've always wanted…one from you…please…before you go…?"

" Well, if you insists, Serene," Azaroth said smiling. He lowered his head and both their lips connected with one another. They stayed in that position for a while, passionately connected to one another, before they broke the kiss.

" Was that your…"

" Yes, that was my first. The honour goes to you, Serene."

" I'm glad…" she replied, her vision getting blur once more as she started to close her eyes. " Thank you, Azy, for all…that you have given to me…will you be coming?"  
" As soon as I can possibly make it…"

" Al…right….I…'ll….be…wai…ting…." she said, before closing her eyes and falling silent. Azaroth looked at Serene's face, calm and silent in death, yet with a smile on her face. Tears started to drop down his face, and a second later, he buried his face on her chest, sobbing quietly.

---

" Why couldn't you bring her back?" Azaroth asked.

" Look here, I'm not trying to be mean, alright, but keeping your soul in one piece in your head which remained took up 2/3 of my energy, not to mention trying to stitch you back together later. I wasn't much in a position to resurrect her. The best I could do was just to impart whatever that was left of her soul that was lingering around to partially animate her body. Too much time had passed. There was no way in the world that I could bring her back," Tyranus replied, biting on a piece of bread.

" Basic properties of resurrection is simple, to regenerate the body back to its original state as you later kick start the organic piece of meat. Let's say somebody stabs you with a knife in the heart. Repairing the heart isn't a problem, it can be done by normal healing magic. Problem is the soul."

" Once the vessel is destroyed, the soul can no longer stay in this world, and will move to the next. A resurrection can only be successful when its done exactly before, or after death. Being close to death would warrant a resurrection spell. With that, the soul is them forcibly pushed back into its vessel, and thus, one is reborn again."

" So why could I talk to Serene earlier? You said her soul was gone," Azaroth argued.

" Let's put it this way: when you die, your soul slowly seeps out of your body. Just like when you poke a hole in a barrel full of water. The water started seeping out. If you stop the leak almost immediately, you may be able to retain the amount of water. Leave it for some time, the water might be lost forever. Same principle here. Resurrection spells must be done within a minute of death, or else it will fail. The reason why you were able to talk to her was because I imparted whatever that was left of her soul that was still lingering around in her earthly body," Tyranus replied.

" Understood…thank you for letting me talk to her in the end," Azaroth replied.

" Hmm, your first girlfriend?" Tyranus asked teasingly.

" No, I never accepted her advances…never wanted to. Wonder what her mother would say about a guy like me…not to mention her stature," Azaroth replied, ignoring the tone in Tyranus's voice. He suddenly stood up, clenching his fists.

" Fine, let's go murder some people, shall we?" Azaroth declared resolutely.

" Your friends already left to do that," Tyranus replied.

" What?! When?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Azaroth exclaimed.

" Um…you were crying over her dead body?" Tyranus replied. Azaroth had no remark for that.

Tyranus took out a small transparent glass ball, and showed it to Azaroth. Peering into the ball, he saw Melanie slashing one of the cardinals, he wasn't sure who and he wasn't bothered about names. The cardinal gave a shriek and spurted out black blood, not before ripping their skins apart, transforming into large, overgrown lizards.

" That was pretty…quick…" Azaroth replied " I should thank her this time for taking the initiative."

" Who?"

" None of your beeswax! Let's go!" Azaroth exclaimed.

" I like that style…ooh, I just love the way you say it like that," Tyranus purred, shivering her body for effect. She snapped her fingers. Purple flashes of light started to appear, and as the crackling light expanded there was a pillar of bright purple energy crackling in the middle of the warehouse, beckoning to him.

" Before we go, I want you to answer a question for me," Azaroth said.

" What is it?"

" Why are you doing this for me?"

Tyranus paused for a while to think how to phrase her answer. Looking back at him, she cracked into a maniacal grin, saying " I can't exactly say, but I'll be honest by saying that whatever we plan to do in the future, you are sure to find it morally objectable…so enjoy your life while you can…" before she burst with insane laugher.

_Writer's note: Yes, I'm just stating the limits on resurrection spells in my fanfic. It's no fun if all random priests or priestesses can just magically resurrect our heroes without any problem, just like in the game. _


	35. Chapter 34: The Dark Legion's Lieutanant

**Chapter 34: The Dark Legion's Lieutenant**

" Azaroth...you...I thought...you...were dead..." Vermillion gasped, stammering as her jaw dropped as she stared at him.

Azaroth casually placed one of his swords on his shoulders and looked around arrogantly. " Well, I must admit, I'm sorry to disappoint all of you," Azaroth snickered, watching as the blood continued to pour from the severed limb of the giant lizard that stood before him. Looking down at Melanie, he replied " Looks like I saved you this time. You owe me a drink."

" The only drink I'll be drinking with you will be next to your damn grave," Melanie snarled, picking herself up.

" Hey, I just saved your ass...I could use a bit of appreciation," Azaroth laughed. Melanie merely gave him a scowl.

" You...no...how could it...Tyranus!" one of the former Cardinal replied. Azaroth looked behind him to see Tyranus step out of the portal herself, smiling sweetly at them. The people around them looked at her surprisingly.

" What the hell is a necromancer doing here?!" Melanie exclaimed.

" Quiet, crusader! For once, your enemies and mine are the same, so keep your tongue in your mouth where it belongs. I'm helping you out here," Tyranus replied. One of the lizards spun around, firing a bolt of crimson energy, which was quickly countered with Tyranus firing a spell similar to the lizard, both crimson bolts canceling each other in mid-air with a bright orange blast, the spell exploding in their midst.

Azaroth whizzed through the mess, his arm swung backwards and his sword aflame. The monster saw it, but it was too late for him to take action. Azaroth swung his sword at an insane speed, and the blade came into contact with its leg, and his blade blew up in a powerful ball of fire as it made contact with him. The lizard screamed in pain as the blast blew off its leg from its joint. Azaroth felt the splatter of burnt blood on his face, his mouth etched in a smile.

It seemed that he wasn't the only one with such ideas. Melanie have moved up right next to him just as he struck, attacking in the same pattern. The lizard howled in pain, collapsing on the floor as it lost two of its legs.

" Fool...we are doing this for your cause...why are you against us?" the lizard gasped.

" I could care less about what you do, how Azaroth matters to you bastards, nor do I give a shit whether he lives or dies. What matters right now is that you murdered some of my men, and I'm going to make you pay dearly for your stupid act," Melanie scowled, pointing her blade towards the fallen lizard's face.

" Wow, we seem to think alike. I'm here for the same reason as well," Azaroth replied.

" Silence, foul knave!" Melanie shouted.

The other lizards tried to attack, but other people acted at once. Tryzen overcame his initial shock in seeing Azaroth alive and casted a Lord of Vermillion spell around the place, careful to not allow the lightning bolts to blast Azaroth and Melanie, who were in the middle of the fray. Vermillion, Grimjaw and Krayken weaved through the mess, Grimjaw and Krayken flinging their knives around the place. Vermillion caught up with Azaroth, landing on the fallen lizard's head. Concentrating her strength on her fist, she then slammed hard upon its skull, blowing its brains open like some melon.

" My, I can't tell you how good that actually felt," Vermillion replied contentedly as the lizard slumped on the ground, dead for sure with the part where its brain was supposed to be broken apart and smoking.

" You sure like to rush things, don't you? Don't you know of the trouble I had to go through to get here because you started this fight?" Azaroth chided as he pulled her away as the other two lizards tried to attack, one snapping its jaws at them while another fired bolt of crimson energy at him and Melanie, who leaped back in time as the bolts smashed upon the tiles on the floor, missing because Selene managed to divert the blot elsewhere because she set up a safety wall right in front of them.

Another opened its jaws in front of Azaroth, only to be blasted aside in the mouth with a firebolt, courtesy of Tryzen. Tyranus threw another crimson bolt at it, now using two hands. It blew its head off its hinges, and the lizard fell on the floor, its head missing while Tyranus laughed in glee. The final lizard saw that the situation was definitely hopeless, and it leaped out the nearby window, smashing its way through the glass.

" Don't let it get away!" Azaroth howled, but that wasn't really needed.

As soon as the lizard went through the window, it gave a loud howl, and after a loud, ear rendering whizzing noise, something seemed to burst at the outside. Copious amounts of black blood splattered through the window, along with the lizard's viscera, some of its guts hanging by the window. Some of the females in the room recoiled. Azaroth turned to look at who had done this.

A tall, handsome figure came in, climbing through the window. His features looked like they were carved from marble as he looked sternly around, his silver eyes looking at the absolute mess they had made. His flaming red hair was hilariously spiky, looking as if he was some kind of punk. He was dressed casually in black robes, along with a white scarf wrapped nicely around his neck. People seemed to recoil when they saw him, and Azaroth could not blame them.

The newcomer was holding two enormous swords, which were about as long and broad as he were. Azaroth figured it was quite physically impossible to achieve such a feat, but there he stood, with two blades in both his heads.

" Well, this certainly is an interesting development..." the man said, slamming one of his swords on the ground, making it stick diagonally as he scratched his head with his now free hand.

" Commander Aesis, what are you doing here?!" Melanie exclaimed.

" Oh...I'm here to kill of a couple of cardinals, but it looks like you all have beaten me to it...well, I killed one, at any rate," Aesis replied in a casual manner.

" Your commander?" Azaroth asked, sounding perplexed, but Melanie ignored the question.

" But, you..."

" I did say I'll take some action...so why are you acting so surprised?" Aesis asked, shrugging his shoulders. However, his voice turned darker a second later when he said " Tyranus, stop hiding yourself, and come out this instant now!"

" Why do you wish to see me?" Tyranus replied, stepping out from the crowd.

Aesis pointed his large broadsword at her, glaring angrily at her. " I don't know what you people are doing, but I don't like it one bit," he declared.

" Look, I..."

" You are never helping us, not since the beginning, and you will never will, so cut the bullshit. You only serve your purpose, nothing more than that. Tell me, what the hell is the Dark Legion up to right now?!" Aesis exclaimed angrily.

There seemed to be a mixed reaction between the entire place. Some people looked around curiously, wondering what Aesis was talking about, while others seemed shocked to hear of the Dark Legion. Azaroth felt that he had heard of the dark legion before, but he wasn't sure where, and neither did he knew why it would cause such a reaction. Of course, with such a dangerous sounding name, who wouldn't? 'Dark' Legion...

" What the fuck is that?" Vermillion exclaimed.

" The Dark Legion were the forces that started the First and Second Midgard War," Selene replied quietly, looking a little shocked.

" What!?" Almost everyone who didn't know this exclaimed out loud.

" But weren't they annihilated the last time!?" Teranis exclaimed.

" Yeah, weren't we annihilated the last time?" Tyranus repeated in a playful voice.

" You said that the Dark Legion was the only thing that would keep you going, nothing else..." Aesis replied darkly. " You are one of their lieutenants now, Tyranus, you can't lie to me."

" My, my, I guess you know me too well," Tyranus replied. Her tone seemed to have changed, and her voice as well. She broke into an insane grin while both her palms crackled with purple sparks. " I wonder if your skills have become dull since then, or perhaps sharpened. I would so like to try out now, but perhaps I'm at a disadvantage here."

" I should have killed you off back then when I had the chance!" Azaroth exclaimed loudly, picking up his sword and dashing at her. With three steps, he had halved his distance between himself and her. " Everyone, back off now! She's dangerous!"

Tyranus's hand flew up and something purple flew out of her hand. Aesis reacted immediately, throwing his oversized sword in the direction where she had sent the spell. Both metal and spell collided in mid-air, throwing bright sparks all over the place. The sword was hit back, spinning away before landing right next to the wall, missing two acolytes' heads by a fraction of an inch. Tyranus fired another spell, slamming her hand on the floor, a bright green wave bursting out of the floor.

Aesis threw his sword in Tyranus's direction, before leaping aside to knock two priests out of reach from the green wave, which almost reached their feet. Tyranus raised her hand, and the sword was knocked aside by an invisible force. " How many times do I have to say, get out now! She's too much for the rest of you to handle!"

None of them acted fast enough. Tyranus snapped her fingers, and she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, only to appear right behind the carriage where Teranis stood. Teranis tried to reach for one of her vials in her pack, but Tyranus beat her to it. She placed two fingers on her back, and she was tossed forward by some invisible blast.

" Teranis!" Selene exclaimed in horror, seeing her friend being tossed across the room.

" You know, what the heck was that supposed to do?" Teranis replied, unconcerned. She sat up and looked at herself.

" Strange, I figured that would have killed you already..." Tyranus sighed. Her attention had turned towards Melanie, who suddenly dropped to her knees, her body smoking all of a sudden, and she looked like she was in quite some pain. " Oh, I see...how nice of you to take her place," Tyranus replied, before raising her hand up and pointing a finger towards Melanie.

There was a sudden rush of air, and Tyranus looked up in surprise as her left hand came off. She watched it drop to the ground, as everyone in the room gasped. Selene ran up towards Melanie, to check on her condition.

" Relax, I've been in worse conditions," Melanie laughed as Selene started to fuss over her. As she started to heal her, she continued with " Hey, I'm real sorry about it..."

" Since when did I ever blame you?" Selene asked.

" Oi, what about me?" Teranis laughed.

" Hmm, that wasn't really nice, Azaroth..." Tyranus replied, looking at her missing limb.

" Sorry, but I don't like your methods one bit. Whatever debt I owe you, it is done right here. After all, you said you only helped me because it was to your advantage. That alliance ends now," Azaroth replied. Tyranus frowned, before raising her hand. But this time, another invisible wave came towards her from behind Azaroth's back, and it ripped out from her joint. Azaroth spun around to see who had did that.

" No smart moves..." Aesis replied, having gotten back both his swords in the mess. Azaroth's eyes opened wide as he saw him. _How the hell did he know how to do that?! _Azaroth thought.

" Well, I'm not doing anything..." Tyranus laughed, before her arms started to magically grow back again, the bones starting to regrow from the spot where they were cut off. Before anyone could do anything, Tyranus muttered something under her breath, and before they could react, she disappeared in another puff of purple smoke.

" Relax, I'm sure that it's pretty obvious I can't beat all of you, so I will very nicely take my leave from this place, so I bid you all farewell," Tyranus's voice echoed throughout the place as they looked around warily when she disappeared. After a while, it was quite obvious that she wasn't around the place, and with that, Aesis gave a loud sigh of relief.

" Right, I want this place cleaned up..." Aesis replied.

---

Moments later, everyone was busy helping out with cleaning up the place, with all the acolytes being handed out mops to wipe up the mess. Other priests and monks were around, trying to figure out how to get the large dead bodies of their previous cardinals out of the hall without creating a mess, since an easy way of carting them off would be to cut them up into smaller pieces under Vermillion's suggestion, which the acolytes didn't want because that would mean more cleaning to do. However, there was a small group who was apart from the others.

Meillienne and Vermillion were hugging Azaroth tightly, one glad to have him back and the other trying to squeeze him to death for making her worry too much. Grimjaw and Tryzen patted him heartily on the back, laughing out loud, although they did not make any attempt to relieve Azaroth of Vermillion's punishment. Selene and Teranis sat by the side, watching the on-goings quietly, Selene smiling serenely while Teranis decided to observe the surroundings. Krayken stood by the side, impassive as ever while Melanie sat on the floor, frowning slightly.

" Look, please stop this...you are killing me," Azaroth exclaimed.

" Perhaps I am..." Vermillion said, and Azaroth gagged as she tightened her grip.

" Now hang on, Vermy. We don't want to kill him...again," Grimjaw replied, bursting out in a loud laughter that made everyone in the vicinity turn their heads to him, wondering what the heck was so funny. " Selene will have a field day with that, and I think you've given us enough trouble already."

" Piss off..." Vermillion said, pointing a finger at him.

" You know, I have a feeling that rogue is now trying to get in your good books..." Teranis whispered quietly to Selene.

" Perhaps he is...I don't mind actually," Selene replied. Melanie stared at Selene, then sighed quietly.

" What brought you here, Grimjaw?" Azaroth asked.

" Well, we figured that since you gave us so much trouble during your stay in Morroc, we decided we needed a good, long holiday. Isn't that right, Mei?" Grimjaw asked. Meillienne didn't reply. She was too busy hugging Azaroth to notice.

" Hey, Azy, you know Serene..." Vermillion started, her tone dropping all of a sudden.

" Yeah, I know...don't say it..." Azaroth replied sadly, interrupting her. He was suddenly reminded of his last moments with her, ironically with Tyranus's help. It didn't help one bit as he tried to figure out what was her actions. Everyone else quietened down for a while as the topic of Serene was brought up. They were interrupted by the sound of someone closing a book noisily.

" Now, now, what's this? No point getting fussed up all of a sudden. Let's just appreciate what we have right now and forget about whatever else. Not saying you shouldn't mourn, but then again, let's not do it while we are together, no?" Teranis suggested, a book in her hand.

Azaroth smiled. " You are right..." Azaroth said. " You have been helping Selene with this problem of mine. You have my thanks. May I know your name? I'm..."

" I know bloody well who you are, so no introductions are necessary, boy. You can call me Teranis, and leave it at that, alright?" Teranis huffed.

" Let's get out of here. We can talk somewhere else more comfortable," Tryzen suggested. Almost all of them agreed. As they started to walk off, Azaroth noted that Melanie was still sitting down on the floor, looking a bit gloomy. He stopped himself and doubled back, walking up to her. She suddenly shot him a venomous look when he approached her.

" You shouldn't sit down here by yourself. Would you mind joining us?" Azaroth asked.

" Why the fuck should I?" Melanie asked darkly.

" Melanie?" Selene said, surprised at her friends reaction.

" Look, if you all want to go have some merry-making out somewhere in a tavern, its fine by me, but you must be mistaken if you want me to tag along. I have no interest in these stuff, and I have far more important things, than socialise with a bunch of ragtag people...no offense, Selene, but I'll pass on this offer," Melanie replied, standing up and walking away, her steel boots clanking noisily on the floor.

" You need to get laid, woman!" Azaroth exclaimed loudly, with Selene looking at him appraisingly, along with other people in the church. Melanie didn't look around, but she made a rude hand gesture at him.

" Is she from Morroc?" Meillienne asked Grimjaw, both of them recognising the sign.

" Man, what is it with you? Why do you dislike me so much? Perhaps you just didn't like it that I bested you in a sword fight, even under pressure," Azaroth jokingly replied, shrugging his shoulders.

In the next instance, Melanie moved so fast everyone there could have sworn that she had the reflexes of an assassin. She spun around, and her hand was out, sword in arm. Azaroth had his Tsurugi out in a flash as well, his sword deflecting in time just as the tip cut his cheek. Everyone stared at the exchange, and one of the female acolytes even screamed.

" You didn't best me, jackass..." Melanie snarled dangerously.

" Oh, it is about our fight then..." Azaroth replied, chuckling. " You know, you could have hit my head is I was a fraction too slow."

" I know darn well how fast your reflexes were," Melanie answered.

" Really now? I'd agree to another match with you if you insist, but now I'm not rightly in the mood," Azaroth said. Melanie glared at him, then slowly took her sword away from his face. Azaroth also lowered his and she glared at him for a while. Azaroth turned around to leave, but Melanie stopped him by holding his shoulder and spinning him around. Azaroth's first thought was that she was about to punch him, but she merely pressed a finger on where she cut him and ran her finger across, healing his cut. Azaroth winced as it burn slightly, and Melanie recoiled her hand in surprise.

" Wait, what was that?" Melanie asked all of a sudden, her voice sounding suspicious.

" Look, Tyranus brought me back using dark magic, you can't expect me to stay real 'Holy', can't you? I'm sort of like...well, part zombie, so to speak," Azaroth replied. " Look, Tyranus brought me back using dark arts. If you want to know how, why don't you join us?"

" No thanks," Melanie huffed, turning around.

" Hey, I'm still waiting for my thanks," Azaroth called out to her.

" Fuck you, damn it," Melanie called back, before storming away.

" You know, I think you still suck at picking up girls," Tryzen replied, patting his back.

" You know, I've changed my mind about her: She 'really' needs to get laid. She's just too uptight," Azaroth replied.

" What? Don't tell me you are interested in her?" Tryzen asked.

" Bah, she's not my type," Azaroth replied, returning to the group. However, as they reached the exit, they saw Commander Aesis leaning by the door, looking at them.

" Um, do you have some business with us?" Tryzen asked.

" Perhaps I do. I wish to have a word with you, Azaroth," Aesis replied, before suddenly bowing all of a sudden. " However, before that, I must apologize for what you had been through. I had never imagined things would have ended up this way, and I believe my actions have caused all of you trouble. For that, I would like to say I'm sorry."

" Um…you didn't do anything wrong, Commander Crenilia," Selene replied.

" Hmm, nice as always, you are. You should berate him once in a while, you know. After all, with only an age difference of one year, you shouldn't feel ashamed about it. You could treat him as an equal," another voice replied. Everyone turned around to see a lady dressed in High Priest robes standing by the side of the exterior corridor, smiling at them, her hazel eyes piercing them deeply.

" Stop saying that, Reinne! I know I'm old!" Selene exclaimed.

" Hey, wouldn't that make me old as well?" Aesis asked.

" Reinne? Hmm…silver hair," Azaroth mused, before snapping his fingers. " Wow, Princess Reinne from the Royal Family! An honour to meet you!"

" You addressed her rather casually, didn't you?" Tryzen whispered.

Vermillion immediately walked up to the two of them, her fingers already pointing at their faces. " Well, what do you two scumbags want with us, huh? Waltzing into this mess when you feel like it. I suspect some ulterior motive behind this act!"

Turning to Tryzen, Azaroth whispered back " With Vermillion around, whatever I do makes me look like an angel in comparison, so I guess that's alright."

" Look, I'd just like a word with Azaroth, that's all. How hard is it to ask for such a thing?" Aesis asked.

" Only if you buy drinks for all of us," Vermillion answered.

---

Vermillion slumped down on the bar, having passed out and obviously drunk, her hand still attached to a wine bottle. Azaroth sighed. " Well, at least she didn't take off her clothes this time and just passed out," he replied, returning to his drink, which he sipped carefully and quietly, for the first time in his life savouring it slowly. His brush with temporary death had given him a newfound idea of life, and he figured that he should at least stop and smell the roses.

" Well, what is it that you want to talk about?" Azaroth asked Aesis, who was seated next to him, a drink in his hands. The two of them were situated quite for away from the other people, who were either busy eating or merry-making by the tables. The bartender quietly wiped his glass and stood some distance away, giving them some privacy.

" Hmm, do you have any questions yourself, first of all?" Aesis asked.

" How the hell…"

" Self-taught," Aesis quickly answered.

" I don't think so," Azaroth replied.

" Well, anyway, that was what you'd answer, but honestly, I think there is more than meets the eye," Aesis replied, leaning back and placing his drink on the table. " The fact that we could both execute 'flying slashes' of a similar style while being self-taught is just too much of a coincidence."

" So what are you saying?" Azaroth asked.

" Well, there is a connection, you see. I apparently know your father, or the man who claimed to be your father," Aesis answered. Azaroth wasn't too sure what to say. It wasn't the response he was expecting to get. He had almost forgotten about the Kyrodin Guild when it was the very first thing that bought him into this mess in the first place. He took another sip, keeping quiet as he wanted to listen.

" The Kyrodin Guild were mere servants to the Dark Legion. However, they had long been involved in their work, and some way or another, they rebelled against their masters. As punishment, their souls were enslaved by the Dark Lord, and by the rule from hell, their souls will never find peace unless each of them would kill and sacrifice 1000 people to the Dark Lord to redeem their souls to rest in peace. But anyway, 1000 lives are not worth one tormented soul. The army didn't want them to reap anything more from the common people. I executed most of those men myself, condemning them to hell for the rest of eternity. But then again, I figure they deserve it. After all, you should know what you are getting into by serving under the Dark Legion."

" What is this Dark Legion anyway?" Azaroth asked.

" Perhaps you were too young at that time," Aesis replied, finishing his drink. " The Dark Legion was initially commanded by the Death Knight, Lord Argnos Darkblade, when he initially broke a hole in the space warp continuum and entered our dimension. Then amassing an army of dark creatures alike, he launched a war against Rune Midgard, which was known as the First Midgard War, and a bloody War it was. We only won at that time because he had a change in heart."

" Change in heart?"

" Rumour has it that he fell in love with a human maiden, and he bore a son with her. She supposedly tried to change his ways, finally succeeding when she died herself. Lord Argnos then killed himself in regret, hoping his death would bring peace to the world. This was thirty years ago."

" I wasn't born then," Azaroth answered.

" Quite right, but I'm sure you were around when the Second one broke out. Lord Argnos apparently had another son, an elder one, and this one which he got by breeding with one of the dark creatures that inhibit this land. And thus, another Death Knight was born. He regrouped and formed another Dark Legion, and although it wasn't as powerful as his father's time, he still managed to cause some damaged before we managed to kill him off. I was there during the time, and it was to my regret that my commander had to die before I could strike him down."

" Your commander?"

" The person who holds my post before I did…"

" Oh…I'm sorry…he must be a great man."

" It was a she."

" Oh…I see," Azaroth replied, feeling dumb.

" However, from what I've seen in Tyranus's actions, it looks like the remnants of the Dark Legion are acting once more. I'm not sure what they are up to, but it sure is up to no good. Tyranus was a mere child back then, so I guess I didn't have the heart to kill her when I walked along the broken battlefield in Morroc surrounding by Raydric corpses. Perhaps it was a mistake to let her live," Aesis said, sighing.

" Not trying to sound bad here, but it is because of her that I'm still here," Azaroth answered.

" I'm not saying your existence is a bad thing. That is for God, and only God himself, to decide," Aesis replied. " But, there has to be a reason why she wanted you alive, and for whatever it is, we might be better off with you dead, knowing her intentions."

Azaroth kept quiet.

" But then, if they want you to stay live that badly, then we may as well use you then," Aesis replied heartily. " Ever thought of joining the army?"

" Eh? What's this, a recruitment session?" Azaroth asked.

" Perhaps, but I'll need to keep an eye on you anyway," Aesis replied.

" I hate responsibility," Azaroth replied.

" Freelance then, mercenary style. As long as you regularly update your tabs in the capital, and do some work here, that's fine with me. You can do whatever you like later on," Aesis replied.

Azaroth frowned for a while, then smiled. " You know, that might not be such a bad idea…"

Writer's note: Strange...I remember posting this sometime last week...why was this chapter missing?...Hmm...


	36. Chapter 35: Repercussions

**Chapter 35: Repercussions**

_A few days later..._

" Well, sorry about this, but I guess this is the best we can afford for now. You know, the stingy church. They cause us all this shitty problems, and they can't even afford to give you a decent burial. But screw them for a second, I hope you like it here. This is what you asked for, no?" Vermillion asked, speaking to the small mound of earth where they had buried Serene's body. The attendance for the funeral was pretty poor, with only Vermillion and Azaroth being there, both of them holding shovels. Azaroth stood by the side quietly as he watched Vermillion give her so called 'prayer'.

" Well, its been quiet without you, you know...no wait, it's been quiet because I'm not making that much noise around here since you are absent. We have been managing pretty darn well, but I must say with your presence, it'd be much better. I apologise for rushing to the capital too fast. If anything, your death was my fault, and I blame myself for it. I know you have already forgiven me for it, but I'm asking for your forgiveness once more," she continued, kneeing down on the grave and clasping her hands together as if saying a prayer.

" She forgives you..." Azaroth mused.

" Shut your trap, I wasn't talking to you, Azy!" Vermillion shot back angrily. " God, what do I need to get some quiet time to converse with people? Have some damn respect!" Azaroth merely chuckled quietly under his breath.

" As you know, Azy here is being such an ass, as usual, but that isn't new. I bet you put up with a lot of his crap whenever you visit him. Look on the bright side, you don't have to worry about that now, except when he visits your grave, which I predict will not be frequent. Anyways, how about some info on what the other idiots are up to?"

" Do one of those 'idiots' include yourself?" Azaroth muttered quietly under his breath.

" Krayken has gone missing in Morroc now, God knows what he is up to right now. Tryzen has gone back to Geffen, God knows what he is up to. Selene is still in the church, and that alchemist, forgot her name, has lengthened her stay in the capital, and God knows what they are up to. Grimjaw is...oh wait, I almost forgot, Selene isn't in the capital, she has now gone on a nice holiday with our dear friend Grimjaw...I don't think you know this guy, but I do...to Morroc, and yes, God knows what they are doing there. His little sister, Meillienne, whom I think you also don't know, is now serving in the church, and really, I love that brat. I wish I had a tongue like hers, must have picked her ways from Grimjaw...I should ask him for some pointers, now that I think of it. Also, she's serving as an acolyte as a church, and perhaps become a good little priestess one day. Azaroth has joined the army under Aesis suggestion, and God knows what the hell he does in the army. I mean, he just walks and struts all day long in the barracks. What's this?!" she exclaimed.

" I do not strut..." Azaroth argued.

" Don't you dare argue with me..." Vermillion scowled.

" I argue when contradicted..." Azaroth replied.

" Well, get this. Apparently there is this weird faction that opposed the Dark Legion...bunch of crackpots, I tell you. Anyway, there is this supposed demon faction that was against this Dark Legion, where remnants of the old legion were still working or living here and there, and their strange goal was to eliminate them. Nothing to it, but one of their goals was to eliminate Azaroth somehow, and that was how we got into this mess. They managed to sneak in years ago and disguised themselves as cardinals, which was really not surprising, since half of these old farts are assholes anyway. Aesis found this out after some searching, and apparently they are tied to some of the guilds in Morroc, and have a few guilds that are supposedly under his control. Getting them would be a pain in the ass, but Aesis said he was going to do it somehow. Whatever for they want Azaroth dead...well, who the hell cares anyway, huh?!"

" Aren't you going to explain why..."

" Why the heck do I want to explain any further details about those shit heads anyway? Let Serene lay in peace without having to worry to much about people who are after your head, or why they were after your head for the matter," Vermillion replied.

" ...Point well taken..."

Vermillion placed a nice rose on the mold of earth, sticking it into the ground to disallow the wind, which was blowing quite strongly, from stealing the rose away. The winds started to rustle the leaves of the trees that surrounded them. Vermillion got back up, and turned and faced Azaroth.

" Now, give her something..." she demanded.

" Women sure are demanding, aren't they?" Azaroth sighed. Kneeling down right next to the grave, he took out a small box. Opening it, Vermillion saw that it contained a small round medal with unfamiliar signs on it.

" Don't tell Melanie, because if she knew I nicked it from the army office, she will have my head for sure. It's just one of the medals they give out in the army once in a while, and I figured after all you have done for me, you deserve one of these, at least," Azaroth said. He made a small hole in the middle of the ground and buried the box along with her body. " Rest in peace, dear friend."

" Is that all you are going to say?" Vermillion asked.

" I've already spoken to her before she left. There is nothing more that I need to say," Azaroth calmly answered.

" What nonsense are you talking about?" Vermillion exclaimed.

" You know, I never know you had such a vocabulary. That was by far the longest speech I've ever heard you give to her," Azaroth replied.

" Bah..." Vermillion exclaimed. " Shall we go back now?"

" Let's."

---

" Back here again..." Grimjaw muttered.

" You really didn't need to come, you know," Selene replied.

They walked through the desert at the outskirts of Morroc, looking left and right, not bothered by the scorching hot sun that burned down their backs. Grimjaw was used to it, and Selene was one resilient priestess, so there wasn't any problems with that.

" No, I had to. I need to pay my respects to the dead as well," Grimjaw replied.

" Who?"

" My parents..." Grimjaw replied. Selene kept quiet as they slowly marched in the sand.

" The desert is the largest graveyard here, and the cheapest anyway. Nobody bothers about graves here, we all die unmarked," Grimjaw explained, exhaling on his cigarette. " My parents became extremely ill, and we were unable to get them any medical treatment, so we just buried them here. I'm not too sure exactly where, since the terrain of the desert changes all the time, so I just walk out here randomly. After all, its the thought of paying respect that really counts, not where exactly I pray."

" I agree with you..." Selene replied.

Both of them continued to walk along the place quietly. The wind picked up slightly, but there wasn't going to be any sandstorms anytime soon. Grimjaw carelessly threw his cigarette away, leaving the remaining stick to burn away in the middle of the desert.

" Well, here we are..." Grimjaw replied, looking at the vast desert. " Shall we start praying?"

---

" God, what is it this time, Able?" Tryzen sighed as he strolled down the streets of Geffen, with some young mage right behind him, following him closely. He noticed that a lot of people turned around to face him when he walked by the street. News of his exploits, if they could be called as that, had spread much faster than ever. Now, he was some rebel hero for all the young magicians, and some item to be frowned upon by the elders of Geffen. However, this was always the case with Able, whom had admired him since way back.

" Was it really..." the young mage started.

" Yes, God damn it, it was me in Prontera. Now, if you would excuse me, I'd like to have some time with Sapphire, since I haven't seen her in a while," Tryzen grumbled.

" Yes, but..."

" Any further arguments will be answered with magic, and I trust you do know what I'd do when I'm feeling very bothered because some idiot keeps pestering me," Tryzen scowled. Able let it slip, and allowed Tryzen to wander off into the streets of Geffen. Tryzen gave a sigh of relief, hoping this will be the last person pestering him since his arrival in Geffen before he met up with Sapphire.

He started to walk up a familiar tower, climbing up to the top level following the long, spiraling staircase. It didn't take him long to reach the top, where a wooden door lay.

" Hello, sorry I..." Tryzen replied as he opened the door, but his sentence was interrupted when a large body leaped at him like some torpedo, slamming into him and throwing him several meters backwards, hitting the wall on the opposite end. Tryzen was a little dazed. " Gee, I haven't gotten that kind of greeting in a long time. What made you decide on that?"

" I don't know..." Sapphire said, sobbing in his arms.

" I'm sorry..." Tryzen replied, trying his best to sound apologetic.

Sapphire quietened down for a while, then looked up at him, her eyes slightly wet with tears. " You can make up for that, you know..." she said teasingly.

" Why am I getting the feeling that I'm going to like this?" Tryzen asked, raising his eyebrows.

---

" So what are you going to do with them? Leave them here?" Grimjaw asked.

" It's too much trouble to sieve through all the sand here to recover their bodies. Sometimes it just works out that way, soldiers die in unmarked graves, just like this one here...harsh, isn't it?" Selene said, her hands clasped together as she glanced around the vast desert, the wind blowing slightly in her face. " Perhaps one day I might share their fate."

" Are you with the army?" Grimjaw asked.

" Sort of. I'm with both, actually, under the Imperial army and the Holy Order. When the need arises, I will be mobilised by the army to serve. Happened a few times," Selene said.

" Was it during the second war?" Grimjaw asked.

" Well...yes, I was part of it. It was some months before I attained my rank as a priestess. It was...kinda depressing. I always felt I was going to die anytime soon, somewhere in the middle of Prontera or the dungeons of Glastheim. I'm kind of surprised I made it this far," Selene replied.

" Talent, I guess..." Grimjaw replied, taking out another cigarette and lighting it.

" Talent hardly counts, I believe," Selene answered.

" Well, that's what I think anyway of me. I've always surprised myself on how long I have lived since those years ago when I lost my parents. After all, Morroc itself is a battlefield, and I was in the midst of it all the time. Honestly, I blame it on the bustling talent I have on keeping alive. Heck, I believe I'm so good I smoke to shorten my lifespan because I just know I'm going to live too long," Grimjaw replied, smiling.

Selene looked at him, then laughed. " I don't know where that optimism comes from..." she sighed.

" This optimism has kept me alive for all these years, so why should I change any time soon?" Grimjaw replied, grinning. He looked a little funny smiling with all his scars on his face, but Selene felt at least when he smiled, he looked human.

" Well, we'll need to go back soon. I have my student to attend to," Selene replied.

" Meillienne?" Grimjaw mused " Why? Isn't she under Reinne?" Selene glared at him, slightly put off that he could have the balls to address her in such a way. " Sorry, Sis, bad habit of mine. You do forgive me, no? I had no parents to teach me manners..."

" Meillienne has enough manners...I'm sure she picked them up from someone," Selene replied, huffing. " Princess Reinne can't always teach Meillienne, since she is always busy with her work in the army, among other things. I'm sure you don't object to me teaching your sister, don't you, even though I may be less inexperienced than she is?"

" Well...no, but it is kinda strange that she is a High Priest when you are 7 years older than her," Grimjaw replied, scratching his head as the both of them turned around to walk away.

" Talent..." Selene answered.

" Stop stealing my lines," Grimjaw replied. Selene giggled for a while, before asking " Hey, Grimjaw?"

" Yeah..."

" What are you going to do after this?"

" Haven't given it much thought...can't exactly go about in my trade in Prontera. Perhaps I should just leave Meillienne there and come back here to Morroc. As much as I wanted to leave this place, I've come to consider it my home. The reason I so wanted to get out of this place was for Meillienne's sake. Never really considered what I really wanted."

" What did you really want to do?" Selene asked.

Grimjaw didn't answer. Looking at him, Grimjaw was facing his head in the other direction away from her. It didn't take her long to realise that he was blushing. She waited patiently for his answer.

" ...You aren't going to laugh at my answer, are you?" Grimjaw asked sheepishly. It was interesting to see him this embarrassed. Selene shook her head politely. " Well...I've always wanted to become a musician."

The two of them faced each other, then a second later, Selene burst out in soft laughter, cupping her hands in her mouth as she started to laugh, tears in her eyes. Grimjaw looked sheepishly at her, then laughed along as well.

" Grimjaw?" Selene asked between laughs.

" Hmm..."

" It's nice to see you smile...honestly smile, not the sarcastic ones you always show..."

A moment of silence as they walked along the sand.

" Grimjaw?"

" What is it this time?"

" Since when do you call me, Sis?"

---

Not too far away along the desert, a lone figure could be seen walking along the desert. He was covered completely from head to toe in a large gray cloak, all wrapped around his body. He continued to slowly trudged along the desert, leaving his prints behind in the sand. One of the desert snakes came up to him, but he was not bothered by these desert creatures.

He paused all of a sudden as he felt a disturbance in the sand. Looking around, he spotted areas in the sand moving. Very slowly, figures started to rise from the sand, dressed in a similar fashion to him, except they had their katars armed. Their blades shined dangerously under the sun, the glare flashing in their eyes.

" It was a mistake of you to come back here, Krayken..." one of them replied.

Krayken kept silent, quite aware of their anger. He silently observed the five assassins who emerged from the ground, brandishing their weapons. He did not drew out his. There was no real need to do so. He merely looked at them under his hood, his face hidden from view.

" You do realise what you have done, have you?" another spoke up, anger in his voice.

" Yeah...so?"

" What is it with this newfound arrogance you have? Do you know your purpose?" another replied. Krayken kept quiet.

" You were sent to Prontera to keep an eye on the activities. Yet, you have..."

" My loyalties do not lie with the guild anymore. I have long paid my debt..."

" Krayken!"

He acted immediately. One second later, he had sunk his blades into one of them, stabbing two of his katars into his heart, killing him immediately. He ripped them out to parry two others that flew in his direction. He stabbed one assassin in the leg and pushed him back, ripping out his katar to sever the leg off its joint. A couple of them threw knives at his direction, but he merely threw off his cloak, the large piece of cloth whipping around to fling the knives that came at him in another direction. One cut his face, but it was of little concern to him at the moment.

He whipped around, and the other three moved back in an attempt to gain more ground, but Krayken was too fast, he neared one of them, and lashed out his katar, which the man immediately parried. Sparks and blood flew out in the air as Krayken missed avoiding another attack completely, the blade tearing across his arm. He whipped around, stabbing another guy in the gut, before kicking another out of his way.

Having gained some ground, he flipped out his knife and dipping on some liquid he took out from a small vial, stabbed it into his arm. The throbbing pain of the poison started to lessen, and he regained his composure quickly.

" I suggest using quick-acting poisons, not these useless ones you use to poison people who are ignorant to the uses of poisons. It's pathetic to think that you even have the capabilities to fight me with such tactics," Krayken replied. The assassin whom he had stabbed fell to the ground, his poison working effectively.

The two remaining ones ran across the field of bodies and blood to attack. Krayken lashed furiously at the both of them, their katars flashing in the air, almost invisible at the speed they are going. Krayken kicked up some sand and aimed it one of the guy's face, throwing him back from the sting in his eyes. A katar flashed by his side, and he grabbed the blade with the tip of his fingers, moving the blade aside, which narrowly missed his head. He lashed forward furiously, stabbing the assassin at where his heart should be, now immobilised as Krayken held his weapon. Blood splattered gloriously all over the place, and Krayken felt his face being painted with blood as he watched passively as he killed a man who was once his comrade.

" Kain will be furious..." the man gasped, coughing out blood and dropping to the floor.

" That is why I'm here to sever all ties with you people. My actions are of my own. I don't owe Kain anything," Krayken replied. He moved quickly up to the assassin whom he had thrown sand in the face, and executing a sonic blow, ripped the poor fellow into multiple pieces. Dripping in blood, Krayken continued his walk through the desert as he bandaged his wound.

---

" I said Selene isn't here...so quit bothering me," Teranis explained.

" But then, what are we going to do?" Meillienne asked.

" God, why are you asking me this?" Teranis sighed. She put her book down and looked at the small crowd of acolytes gathered around Selene's room. Of all days to actually need her. Teranis placed down her reading glasses and sighed. It looked like she won't be getting any time for rest soon.

" What's this?" someone asked, poking her head through the open door.

" Ah, Grandma Deinelle!" Meillienne exclaimed excitedly, seeing Selene's division commander by the door.

" Hey, that's commander Deinelle to you!" Deinelle replied sternly, although she softened down a second later, smiling at them " Although, I must admit, I guess I'm old enough to be your grandma anyway. And since I don't have any grandkids, I guess you all can be my grandchildren."

" How old are you anyway?" another acolyte asked.

" Old enough, can we leave it at that?" Deinelle asked.

" What's this? Why is there a gathering of acolytes here?" Melanie asked, stopping by the door.

" I believe that they are waiting for Selene to return, but she isn't here yet. Why don't you take care of them?" Deinelle asked.

" I don't want to, Captain Melanie is scary..." another acolyte replied, and the rest of them nodded their heads.

" See, they obviously don't want me," Melanie said, before turning around to face Maycron, who was behind her. " You didn't tell them about me, did you?" she asked, lowering her voice to attain a very dark tone.

" Oh, no..." Maycron replied.

" Just wait around until Selene gets back. It won't be too long..." Deinelle replied, patting Meillienne on her head and leaving along with Melanie. Maycron took a look around the room, then gave a wink at Soreen, who blushed when she saw him. There was a moment of silence later, until one of them broke the silence.

" I'm still bored..."

" Alright, alright..." Teranis groaned, tossing her book aside. Looking at them and grinning, she asked " Who here wants to see fireworks?"

---

" What?! Why do I have to work with Azaroth Crimson!?" Melanie exclaimed, slamming her fist hard on Deinelle's desk, giving a loud bang. Deinelle watched passively as the teacup on her desk wobble for a second from the impact. She then looked up from her piano and looked at her student, who looked like she was fuming.

" Why do you dislike him so much? He's pretty handsome, you know. I'd figure a girl like you could use someone like him," Deinelle replied, continuing with the song she was playing, her hands gracefully moving along the keys on the piano softly, a calming melodious tune flowed out from the instrument.

" That's beside the point!" Melanie replied.

" Do you hate him that much? Just because he humiliated you?" Deinelle asked, not stopping her hands from moving along the keyboard.

" Perhaps..." Melanie grumbled.

" Aesis needs you to keep an eye out on him, just in case any suspicious activity comes up. I'm sure you have no complaints about it. You need to loosen up, and get laid...soon," Deinelle replied. She could almost sense a vein popping out from her student's head. This was the second time today someone gave her this comment, but since it was her commander, and mentor this time, who gave her the comment, she was unable to beat the crap out of Deinelle.

" I envy you young people. I wish I was still young..." Deinelle replied all of a sudden.

" You are..."

"...48 this year. I'm not young anymore, and furthermore, the doctors have told me I can't bear anymore children, so whether I get married again or not makes no difference. But then again, I have had enough children in my lifetime. It just seems a bit sad that a mother outlives all her children, even her own grandchild," Deinelle replied softly. She didn't show it, but then the sound of the music suddenly felt rather melancholic.

Melanie looked sadly at her commander, then slowly walked up to her, sitting down next to Deinelle.

" You know, you can always consider me as you daughter," Melanie replied softly. " I never known my mother either, but have always think that you were probably an embodiment of my mother, if she was alive."

" Yes, I do think so," Deinelle replied, leaning forward and kissing Melanie on her forehead.

They were interrupted when someone knocked politely on the door. When Deinelle gave the permission, the door opened and Azaroth entered the room, bowing slightly. " Well, Captain Melanie, you wanted to see me?"

" Excuse me, commander..." Melanie apologised, rising from her seat and walking out the door. " Come on, let's go," she said to Azaroth. Looking bewildered, he quietly followed her.

" They sure do make a nice pair, don't they?" Reinne asked in an off-handed fashion, lying by the sofa, taking another drink. Deinelle merely shrugged her shoulders and continued playing the piano.

-

" So, from tomorrow onwards, you will be under my supervision. I do expect you to behave yourself," Melanie said, gulping down the third drink within the last 15 minutes. Azaroth watched her drink, rather surprised at the amount she drank. Her tolerance to alcohol was not to be underestimated. The bartender poured her another glass, knowing her habits already.

" I see...I understand," Azaroth replied, nodding his head. " Why are we here?"

" Drinking. Isn't that what we are doing?" Melanie asked, taking another gulp.

" I can obviously see that...why?" Azaroth asked, eying his drink, wondering if she had placed poison inside.

" I'm not poisoning you, you know..." Melanie replied.

" From my previous experience, I won't be surprised actually," Azaroth said.

" Look, this is just...just something...something like some initiation into the army, that's all. We'll be working together from now on, so we may as well forget about our past encounters and start anew..." Melanie sighed. " Yeah, who am I kidding?...I'm just doing this to say my thanks...I hope you do forgive me." Azaroth looked at her, raising his eyebrows.

" Wow, this is awkward..."

" Why the hell does everyone give me that kind of expression when I apologise?! Funny, is it?!" she shouted. The patrons of the tavern turned around to face her, although some of them didn't bother as they were used to that attitude by now.

" You sound like Vermillion..."

Melanie's expression softened a bit, but her voice was still a bit moody. " Don't compare me along with that useless bum..." she said.

" Well, anyway, thanks..." Azaroth replied, drinking his share.

" Hmm, that reminds me...here," Melanie said, taking out a letter and passing it to Azaroth. Azaroth took it and opened it up, reading the contents. It took a while, before he started to smile at the letter. " An invitation to Blitz's wedding?"

" Yeap...I'm going to be his best man," Azaroth said, grinning sheepishly.

" Good for you then..." she replied.

They kept quiet for a while, not sure what to talk about. A few minutes passed, and Azaroth felt the awkward silence descend upon them. However, before he could say anything, Melanie snapped her fingers at the bartender and pointed at the shelf. The bartender nodded and grabbed two bottles and handed it to her. Paying for it, she took the two bottles, along with two small glasses and headed to one of the two seater tables in the middle of the tavern. People turned around to see her, and some people had already gathered around her.

" Our last battle was a little inconclusive, Azaroth. I request a rematch right her, right now," Melanie said, pouring the two cups with the alcoholic drinks she had obtained. Grinning, she took up one of the cups and raised her hand towards Azaroth. " How about it? Look, I'm half drunk, so that's already a good enough handicap for you."

Azaroth looked at her in surprise, then grinned as well. Drawing out his seat, he sat down and took up the cup. " I accept," he said, as both of them gulped down their drinks.

_Writer's note: Almost over. Still one more chapter left._

_Due to their weird names and my penchant for making some spelling errors, I have decided to included a list of all the names of the characters listed here so far. These are their correct spellings:_

_Azaroth Crimson, Serene, Melanie Stryfort, Tryzen Manaloth, Meillienne Windwalker, Illustrianatrienne 'Grimjaw' Windwalker, Krayken Xarakent, Selene Mayfly, Teranis Maryson, Aesis Crenilia, Reinne Malkenthos, Deinnelle Zelkenia, Sapphire, Jacton Smielia, Maycron, Soreen Evanyse, Alreen Evanyse, Tyranus Wishblade, Vermillion Striker.  
_


	37. Epilogue: Things to Come

**Epilogue: Things to Come**

Aesis stood by his balcony, staring into the evening sun, watching as the orange colours paint themselves over the brilliant sky. It was a rare sight, but one which he somehow manages to catch all of the time. It was during this hour when he enjoyed himself on the balcony, watching the sun set slowly. To him, it was a masterpiece that is equivalent to heaven itself.

" Well, enjoying the sights, are we?" a deep low voice asked him from inside his room.

" Well, you know...I would have never seen this back in my homeworld..." Aesis replied.

" Possibly that was the reason why your father come here, I believe..." the unknown voice answered back once more.

" No, my father and my brother came to this world to destroy it. I'm here to protect it, that's the difference between the both of us...but perhaps if my father had seen the error of his ways, as I've heard, then perhaps he managed to see the beauty that this world holds," Aesis replied.

A moment of silence before the voice spoke up again. " Hey, Aesis, let me see it as well," the voice said.

" Hmm? You never were interested in sunsets, Hades. What made you change your mind?" Aesis laughed.

" I'm not sure...perhaps I just want to see what is it that you see in this world that makes you so different from the rest of your people," Hades answered.

Aesis walked back into his room, and a second later, he took out his two broadswords. Outwardly, they looked like they were made of refined Orichalum, but Aesis knew better. His swords were heavy, not something a normal person could carry, but that didn't really apply to him. They looked like plain simple swords.

He leaned them against the balcony, then returned to his gaze to the sunset. After a while, there was a soft popping noise, and the most peculiar thing happened. Right at the point where his sword's hilt met the blade, a slit like-layer moved upwards, like an eyelid, and out emerged an eye, one on each sword. The eye was bright red, coloured slightly with orange veins running along it. The eye looked like the eye of the devil, and for any normal human, it would frighten the shit out of them.

" Hmm, I still don't understand what so great about the sunset..." the sword replied, its eyes swirling around, looking all over the place. " Although I must say, there are some pretty merchants down there below..."

" Hahaha, you were never one for being artistic," Aesis laughed.

" Perhaps..." Hades replied. " What are you going to do now?"

Aesis frowned. " I don't know. The Dark Legion isn't dead as of yet, that is for sure. I'm not too sure how to act as of yet. I just know it, but where do we start?" Aesis said.

" Aeron..."

" I know that...I can feel him too. But it should be impossible...he should have died a long time ago," Aesis replied.

" Tyranus..."

" What about her?"

" She might have absorbed his essence."

" You think so?"

" Perhaps, but I think I sensed his presence when you fought with her..."

" Well, that regenerative ability she had was really unusual, I must say...what you say may have some credit," Aesis replied. " Well..."

" Reinne's coming!"

" Oh, now you address her as Reinne now?" Aesis joked.

" You are one to speak!" Hades replied, before closing his 'eyes'.

The door of his room opened, and Reinne stepped in. " Hey, Aesis, you are needed in the meeting Come along now...what are you doing with your swords out at the balcony?" Reinne asked, seeing Aesis's swords with him.

" Ah, well, my sword wanted to see the sunset for a while," Aesis replied seriously.

Reinne glared at him, her eyes piercing his. " Hmm, yes, very funny, Aesis...I wonder what do I even see in you," she muttered, leaving the room.

" Hmm, yes, very funny, Aesis...I wonder what do I even see in you..." Hades replied sarcastically.

" Yes, very funny..." Aesis replied sarcastically as well, picking up his sword and putting it back in his room, leaning it by the wall by his bed. " I need to go, Hades. I'll be right back. And I swear, stop scaring people with that disembodied voice of yours whenever they enter my room. I'm not going to hear another complaint that there are ghosts in my room anymore alright."

As he was about to leave his room, Hades suddenly spoke up. " Why don't you just tell her how you feel about her?" Aesis paused at the door, and Hades knew darn well he had hit the mark. " Why Aesis? You know better than I do that she feels that way. She hasn't said a word since it is you who is avoiding her. Why? What's holding you back?"

" I...can't..." Aesis sighed. " What would she do if she finds out what I truly am?"

" She will even love you more for that," Hades answered.

" No..."

" Yes..."

" Nope, don't say that."

" Yes, I'm darn right, and you darn well know I am!" Hades argued. " I just hate it seeing you just watch her from afar. She is reachable, you know. I've heard her confide her feelings about you to Deinelle once, and there is no mistake about it. She said she could care less what her father said."

Aesis looked sadly at Hades, the talking sword. Hades opened one of his eyes and looked at him. " Eh? Am I not correct?"

" No...there is something that is holding me back..." Aesis admitted sadly.

" What?"

" Tessa..."

" She's long dead, you dumb fool..."

" Not here, Hades," Aesis replied, placing his hand on his heart. " At least, not yet."

" Do you think Tessa would have wanted it for you to act like this?"

" Why do you care what Tessa thinks? Why can't it be me for this moment? I'm a selfish bugger, let me have my way for a while," Aesis argued back.

" Until you tell her how you feel, I'm going to continue to be the ghost of commander Tessa in your room..." Hades replied.

" Feel free, Hades," Aesis said, walking out the room. However, before he shut the door, Hades heard him say " Thanks for the thought though, I'll think about it." Hades saw him close the door and leave. He gave a huff, then closed his eye.

" What took you so long?" Reinne asked, standing by the corridor further down.

" Ah, I was talking to my sword..." Aesis replied. Reinne sighed, wondering what was up. However, when she was about to leave, she felt Aesis pat her on her shoulder. " You know, after the meeting, I would like to have a word with you...in private."

" Eh? What is this about?" Reinne asked, surprised.

" It's a secret..." Aesis said, winking, as he walked down the stairs. Reinne looked at him quizzically, then slowly followed him.

_Writer's note: And there you have it, the epilogue of my story, the final chapter. Oh no, the story is far from over. It's just that this arc has just finished, that's all. Since this was the final chapter, I decided to add some comments upon the story:_

_-This story was supposed to stand totally by itself, having no continuation at the end of roughly 40 chapters. However, I had plans on writing another rather long, epic-like fanfic, and I then decided to sort of fuse this story to provide some background for the story, and thus we have this as a finished product. Also, Azaroth was really 'supposed' to die in the final chapters of the original plan, but since I'm going to have another story arc, I can't have that, right?_

_-My original plan did not include Vermillion and Serene, nor did I have any plans on including elves, not until much later after I added the prologue. However, I figured I might need some strong female figures in the story, so I included them in, and the interaction between Vermillion and Serene felt rather interesting in my head. Vermillion originally was supposed to be Krayken, but sharing the same characteristics as she does now, just as a male. Thus, I might have portrayed Vermillion too much as a male person in some parts. Since I was missing an assassin of sorts, I gave that role to Krayken._

_-The final fight with the Cardinals was way too short than from the original plans. It was supposed to be some three chapter long fight where Azaroth was supposed to kill them all in some bloody bloodbath, but the plan was way too long, and there were some oddities with the plan in terms of logic, so I decided to scrap it and insert only half a chapter of it._

_-If any of you read Bleach, you will know where I got Grimjaw's name from. Illustrianatrienne was supposed to be his real name of sorts, taking from an old RP game my friends and I used to play years ago, but then I realised despite its 'sentimental' value of sorts, I couldn't afford such a long name, so I gave him a nickname of sorts, 'Grimjaw', which almost stuck as his formal name._

_-I've just realised that I have not listed a disclaimer here in my fanfic, and it's the last chapter. But anyways, for those of you who didn't know by now, I do not own Ragnarok Online. This fanfic was written just purely for fun and has nothing to do with the game. Anything that happens in this fanfic in real life is, obviously, purely coincidental._

_-A lot of details about the Kyrodin guild and Azaroth's past, along with some of the other main characters, Krayken especially, were not addressed properly, due to timing issues and me being a forgetful bum._

_-Tryzen was never supposed to get married. However, due to past experiences in writing fanfics and allowing fans who are female (I have nothing against females, alright?! I'm all for equality), I dislike the thought of my fanfic sounding yaoi-like (again, I have nothing against yaoi) with Tryzen's friendship with Azaroth. People have mistaken friendship between two guys as some yaoi or gay love thing I have in the previous story I used to write, so I just had to have Tryzen marry someone just to prove he's straight...yeah, dumb, I know, but what the heck...I repeat: I have nothing against the opposite sex or yaoi or gay people, I just had bad experiences in the past, that's all._

_Well, there you have it, the sort of 'deleted scenes' of my fanfic. The sequel will be out, hopefully, sometime in the next three months, or more, depending on if I decide to focus on something else. Thank you for reading and thank you for those who will. I'm totally open to all sorts of comments and reviews._

_Have a nice day people._


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